A Familiar Stranger
by youronlyastory
Summary: "I went back to her estate in the Nineties. Just once or twice. Never said 'hello'..." What if the Doctor followed Jack's idea and watched Rose growing up, what if he was there to be that kind stranger who looked after her without Rose even knowing? After not coping with Bad Wolf Bay he knew he couldn't ever speak a word to her but seeing her grow up was the last chance he had.
1. Prologue

"_I went back to her estate in the Nineties. Just once or twice." He smiled sadly at the thought, "Never said 'hello'. Time lines and that..."_

_The Doctor had to think of a distraction, he didn't want to be reminded of Rose, of the continual loss in my gut as the memories flooded through. In fact, he was so tormented with these familiar demons that he'd looked away in attempted to shade himself from Jack's watching gaze._

"_D'you want to die?" _

But now, as he looked across the empty TARDIS he could feel his chest swell in ache. Astrid, beautiful Astrid Peth. He'd lost another, as if he'd been reminded of that beautiful feeling of having Rose around but losing her again. Astrid even acted like Rose.

The TARDIS hummed in a form of comfort as he collapsed against the driver's seat. Martha, couldn't he have just loved her like he'd treasured Rose, couldn't he be more like Captain Jack and be able to flirt and falling love with any and everyone?

Still, at least he'd got to see her, one last time; Jack had the chance that he'd never have. He'd never see Rose again.

The TARDIS suddenly lurched forward then and automatically flew through time. Grabbing onto the railings as his own ship threw him about, he tried to reach the controls. The ship was stubborn. She went with such a speed that he was thrown with such force against the door so that when she'd reached the destination. He'd literally fallen through the doors.

He was on Earth, he could taste that...and judging by the smoke, rural London-No! He didn't want to be here. He couldn't be here. Not this part of London, anywhere but here! He launched himself as the locked doors and thumped his clenched fists at the wood.

"No! Not here! I can't be here! Please, let me in!"

In his own ears, his voice broke.

"Please"

The TARDIS stood strong, doors locked and forbidden as he suddenly heard a familiar voice and nearly broke down at the sound of it.


	2. Giving in

My chest swelled as more unwanted but not unpleasant memories flooded my thoughts.

"I can't help it Jaqs...She's just...beautiful..."

I know that voice.

Oh.

Leaping behind the TARDIS, hidden by its silhouette I watched as the couple continued to walk across the Powell Estate.

Pete Tyler held tight onto the Moses basket looking lovingly into it. His hair was thinning, still thicker from when Rose had re-met him but thinner since the wedding. His tie was loosened and in front of him, a tired and zombie-fied Jackie Tyler was trying to swallow her smile.

"Yea-but you can gaze upon her in doors. It's cold out here."

There he was, in a trance as he looked at the Earth's defender, entranced by her beauty.

"Pete? C'mon, I need to sit down before my guts fall out of-"

Felling a little disturbed, I smiled sadly. I didn't want to be here. I wanted to hide away from the familiar burn but I was stuck, literally. There she was, my future best friend being completely idolized as her father looked in awe. She'd never known the real extent of his love. Well, she might do now. But still, there she was.

They crossed the complete square and left towards their home. I needed to leave, but the TARDIS still kept her doors under the dead lock seal, banning me from entrance. Okay, I got to see her. But it's not helping; it's just making the loss harder to deal with. I had to scrunch up my face and slap my cheeks in an attempt to stop the moisture from taking over.

At fault of the TARDIS, I stayed outside for a while and watched as kids played around, using random debris for dens and hideouts. My thoughts had been so deep that I hadn't noticed that I had company.

"'Ere, mate. Don't suppose you got a light?"

I didn't have time to hide or run, but then again, he wouldn't get the chance to recognise me. Not with this face. I might just have a few moments talking to the proud father. I patted my pockets solemnly and shrugged.

"Sorry,"

"Nah, its fine..." He was about to turn away, leaving me alone on the bench again when he'd apparently changed his mind and sat next to me. Pete Tyler.

"You know what? You're right!" And with that he crumbled the cigarette and threw it to the floor, swishing his hands as he guffawed in disbelief.

"Jus' become a Dad..."

"Congratulations." I said, not quite finding the strength to be completely enthusiastic about it. But I had to be, I'd been able to carry on before. What was stopping me now? One last chance to cherish the presence of a Tyler?

Coughing, I offered my hand and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah. Yeah, Sorry. I keep tellin' everyone; random strangers about it."

I grinned properly, not quite able to hide the broken pride and realism coating my voice."You should be proud"

He grinned, sinking into the bench and swiping the non-existent sweat from his fore-head. "She's beautiful," he said, stroking his face as if to smear the smirk off of it.

"Rose Marion Tyler."

"Oh, beautiful name. Good choice." He seemed overjoyed by the compliment and agreed in a dazed murmur.

"Have you got kids?"

I shook my head, watching as he stood.

"Well, when or if you do..." He patted his heart and sighed then put his hand on my shoulder. "It's the best thing in the universe."

That was the last time and the first time I'd met Pete Tyler and I felt honoured. He'd been everything that Rose could've wanted, everything she needed.

Luckily, as if a reward had been given, my ship opened her doors and beckoned me in.

But a voice stopped me. Again.

"Doctor?"

Turning around a delirious Jack glared at me mouth agape.

"It's you..Where the hell have you been?!"

But as he approached me, fists poised he stopped.

"You're not..."

I held up my hands as the back of my mind fizzed angrily but in a hint of humour. He'd lied. He'd seen me here, that's why he was smiled casually when he talked about Rose. We'd met before it was all a- oh my Rassilon.

"Right, here's where it gets complicated..." I muttered leading him into the TARDIS as small nots began to form in my stomach.

*.*.*.*

"Okay..." He didn't really say anything else just kept repeating those two syllables.

"You believe me?"

"S'not the first time I've trusted a stranger in Rose's honour..." We both shuddered when he said it. He never meant it but still. This was good.

"So...'Doctor'?...What are you doing here...?"

I shrugged.

"Same as you..."

"Flirting?"

"Not the same as you," I corrected. He smiled slightly. I still couldn't believe it though. He'd jumped in with both feet believing me a hundred percent and more when I uttered these words.

"So, we're going to watch Rose grow up?"

I almost choke on my own tongue once I'd heard it.

"No! Of course not, I'm going-leaving. I can't-It wouldn't be right, she might recognise us...It's too risky." How could I even be contemplating the idea? It wasn't going to happen!

"Not if, I don't know. We do a stake out in the above flat..." He shrugged dismissively.

"The upstairs flat is empty?"

Jack nodded, sensing that I'd fallen for his trick and, therefore having me argue with myself.

"Well tough it's not going to happen, I'm leaving now, so thanks for the conversation but like..." Mumbling incoherently, I tried to start the TARDIS engine. Nothing. SHE WAS DOING THIS ON PURPOSE.

"Your ship thinks differently..."

"I cannot stay here! I can't risk it..." That was a lie, I could sneak around, I just couldn't trust myself not to create a paradox if I happened to see her in her teenage years again.

"So you tell me that she's lost, and you can't get her back. Well the Doctor I'd known would've done everything in his power to see her that one last time." His accent was teasing as the memorie of his 'emergency protocol' sprung to life.

"I can't-!"

"Not even for one day, every year? Just one day."

I refused to look at him.

"No..."

I tried pulling down on the lever to again begin the engines but she refused.

"Behave!" I yelled, slamming my palm onto her front.

"If you are the Doctor, you would have stayed. With no hestitations..."

I didn't even think aboiut the consequences as the roar ripped from my soul.

"You're supposed to be my friend! You're supposed to help and yet what?! You lead me to my torture. Is that what you were here for, is that the only reason you befriended me?! To watch as I lose every ounce of control that I've ever had to learn?!"

He crossed the short space between us in a matter of mini-seconds.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be your friend but not as much as you're supposed to love her. Because if this is what you are now, a selfish fool, then you are not the Doctor I knew and you are certainly not the strong and the brave Doctor who Rose loved!"

He let go of the lapels of my coat as if throwing me away, then slowly began to leave the TARDIS.

"Wait!"

He raised an eyebrow at me as my hand was outstretched towards him.

"I'll get you the money etc so this can happen but it's in your responsibility Jack. Yours!" He nodded eagerly, smiling a little as he shoved his hand in his pockets.

"One day..." I muttered as a vow.

"One day every year." He finalised leaning against the doorway as he'd done many times before. I still didn't like the feel of his boldness, with his vowed and fact like stand. IT still made me feel wrong, but still he'd won and I'd lost.

I'd never felt so glad as to have been beaten.


	3. 1 Year Old

He'd actually turned up. That was a surprise. This new Doctor, who in so many ways was braver but more broken then his previous 'regeneration' had originally scared the hell out of Jack. But after a very brief, and incredibly complicated conversation about the future, about Rose about Bad Wolf, he knew that the Powell Estate was the place to be. He was just pissed off that it was up to him to spend the majority of his time sleuthing, phone at the ready in case anything important happened.

"How long has it been?" The Doctor said, shutting the TARDIS door and avoiding the spot where he'd pulled up the carpet to hear the events of their downstairs neighbours.

"It's been two weeks since the funeral."

The Doctor nodded, showing no emotion as he sniffed. Pete was a good man, he'd been lucky enough to see his grown up daughter, he'd died to save the rest of his universe. He was the bravest man, he'd ever met and even he was proud to know that Rose was related to such a great man.

"And?"

Jack sighed and shrugged as if mobilizing his shoulders. "Rose is distressed, crying a lot more. She can tell something's wrong."

"She's not a cat," The Doctor muttered rather irritably. This new regeneration had won hell of a defensive system when it came to Rose. Almost treating it as if Jack had known nothing of her, yet, the Doctor refused to discuss anything other than the fact that he'd changed and that Rose was gone. There was no in-between.

"Right, but she's still a baby!" He pointed to the pulled up carpet and hollowed flooring then he pointed at the purple rim around his eyes.

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and leant over the space. He couldn't hear anything. He was about to ask Jack to continue but he already had.

"Jackie's...well. I don't think you'd like to know."

"Tell me," He said sympathetically. He crouched to the ground now, thinking of all those times he and Jackie had fought. He had to keep reminded himself that she was happy now. She was in a better world with Pete, reunited once again. But the thought still stung.

"She's probably just as bad as you are but putting on a stronger face..."

That did hurt.

"So, why you here? I didn't call you..."

The Doctor shrugged and wondered about the flat. It wasn't exactly homey meaning Jack wasn't really planning to stay here after... well it didn't matter.

"Just had a feeling."

"Well you should tune it in the internal body clock of the Earth as they've gone shopping."

"No they haven't..."

Jack raised an eyebrow "Yes they-"

"Jackie's down there staring through the T.V...She's not moving."

Jumping up, he tried to look through the floor boards. She wasn't staring at the T.V.

"She's not staring at the T.V..."

"Then what's with the music?"The Doctor asked watching as Jack pushed himself closer to the floor boards so that he was almost trying to rip through the ceiling.

"What's in her hand?!" He said to the air and the Doctor followed his example and tried to listen for something important.

"Is she breathing?!" The Doctor asked, showing some genuine concern for once.

"I think the correct word is sobbing..."

The Doctor looked to the floor. "Well, she's alive then,"

"Barely, by sobbing I mean she's barely breathing through her sobs."

"Jack. That's not funny."

He sat up and looked at him. "It's not meant to be." He took a breath before continuing. "Is there nothing we can do to help?"

"No...Oh. Wait..." The Doctor suddenly leapt up holding his head and tapping it fiercely.

"God why I didn't ever listen to her, what did she say...What did she say..."

Jack shrugged. "I don't know what you're on about but am willing to help if you give me an idea."

"Jackie, she had a friend, Beth? Maybe? No, Bev! This friend, she lives next door. They'd met over..." He stumbled looking for the memory as he looked up to the ceiling. That's when it hit, like a bolt of lightning, The Doctor grinned and ran into the TARDIS, flying off without a seconds thought.

He'd left Jack...Again...This was becoming a bad habit.

He returned four hours later waving a wad of baby vouchers across his face as he smiled.

"Wha-"

But he and the Doctor were already heading downstairs.

"Okay, so I'm going to shove these through the letter box-"

"But Jackie lives in this flat!"Jack whispered pointing to the door next to the one they were standing at.

"Just keep an eye out will you! Okay, so I'm going to shove these vouches through the door, knock and then we are going to leg it. If I'm correct, which I am because I'm brilliant, she's then going to give them to Jackie and _voila!"_

"So, we're playing '_knock and run'_?"

The Doctor glared at him. That was a yes.

Quickly, he shoved the vouchers through the letterbox, knocked furiously and then ran around the corner followed by Jack muttering about how he'd grown 'sick' of the running. Hiding behind the corner, they watched as a very thin lady with long dark hair (Wow Bev looked different in her younger years) looked at the vouchers, searched through them and then shut the door.

"Great, what now?!"

The Doctor elbowed Jack and hushed him as they watched. Bev re-emerged within about five minutes and knocked tentatively on The Tyler's door and offered the vouchers to a tear streaked and devastated Jackie. She introduced herself and as Jackie burst into tears muttering something about being ' Tyler' Bev grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her.

Jack held his hand as the Doctor silently smacked it with his own. Without uttering a word they returned to their stake out camp, and back to the beautiful police box. He drove the TARDIS to a few weeks later, grabbed Jack and pointed out as they watched from the balcony, Jackie talk animatedly to Bev as she pushed a brand new pram through to the flat entrance with a sleeping Rose inside.

"We're good!" Jack grinned as he pointed at the little match people from the balcony of their floor.

"That we are."The Doctor agreed.

"So...You staying?" Jack finally said after a while. He'd wished he'd kept him mouth shut as The Doctor sighed.

"Nahh, course not...I've done my good deed." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Still, you've got the phone. Anything major and you phone!"

"Does light bulbs count? What about food? And if Rose starts walking?"

"Goodbye Jack." With that he began walking into the TARDIS and gently pushed on the buttons. Smilinh, he waved as Jack's words were lost in the roar of the engines.

"How about you stay here and baby stalk while I go and fly off in the TARDIS?"

The flat was empty.

"Never mind then..."

But even he couldn't deny, after believing he could never see her again, it was great to watch her grow into a smiley and cheery little girl the girl who would soon become one of his bestfriend's.


	4. 2 Years Old

Why was he always late? Why couldn't he (_for once)_ get his timing right? He even had a time machine for God's sake.

On the other side of the spectrum, The Doctor was running. Pelting his feet as hard as he could across the concrete, he raced towards the flat, rushing as fast he could to prevent being noticed. He bolted up the stairs and along the corridor, found the familiar door then burst in.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Jack yelled, gesturing towards his watch.

"Does it matter, I'm here now..."

It did matter. He broke the code, he broke the rules. He was always breaking rules but this time, he'd really done it. He surreptitiously scrubbed the ink off his right hand and sniffed. Jack was taking it all in.

"You said we weren't allowed to break any rules in case we get noticed. They were the rules! Your rules! We're already running across a very thin line, if we do one thing wrong, we could change the future-"

"I know. I know." The Doctor sighed, walking back over to the exposed corner and throwing himself down.

Jack looked to the floor and followed the Doctor's actions.

There was a faint chorus of 'Happy Birthday' as Jackie cuddled and played with Rose. Rose was squealing in delight. Around them were piles of new toys, clothes and wrapping paper followed by cardboard and "Happy 2nd birthday" cards as well as several family members and friends, some with their own children.

"She looks cute," Jack teased, keeping his eyes on the Doctor to see how he would respond. He was gazing at the floorboards, enjoying the noise that came from the flat below.

"Yeah," He muttered, smiling slightly as he looked through the floor watching a very sweet Rose smile and gurgle incoherently.

The Doctor didn't move an inch for the rest of the day. Jack had left the flat twice, eaten three times, walked around, tidied a little bit and even watched Rose too but the Doctor hadn't moved. This was the longest he'd ever stayed in one place and he just lay there, content with the evening, eyes unmoving from the spot.

Within about two more hours, the party congregation slowly began to fade away leaving the Tyler's alone. Jackie had put Rose to bed and left herself but the Doctor still didn't move.

"New record?" Jack laughed despite seeing the Doctor's face contort from woozy bliss to a deep fear.

"Jack," He whispered dangerously, beckoning him near. Jack crouched over him

"What?"

The Doctor jumped up and grabbed Jack by the front of his T-Shirt, pulled him towards the floor and pointed. His hands were shaking.

"What, what is it?" Jack said blankly, his ear close to the wood.

"I didn't hear them turn the oven off..."

"So?"

The Doctor growled. "How do you even live with those crappy hearing ducts of yours; The oven is still on, I know, and to make it worse, I swear I can smell smoke..."

As realisation hit, he jumped up and grabbed his forearms.

"No, you can't. They've got fire alarms, leave it to that. You might get recognised."

The Doctor didn't care. Rose was in danger. She wasn't the Rose who he was used to rescuing but he had to save her and Jackie. He had to save the both of them

"Humans don't recognise anything from their baby years," He argued, pacing impatiently, ready to jump through the door and rescue the day. His sanity was slowly sliding away as the drastic thought began to take a hold of his logic.

"I wasn't talking about Rose." Jack muttered.

"She's fast asleep, she won't wake up, I'll just be in and out, that's all. Just quickly. " He felt like adding 'I won't even pause' but he didn't want to keep lying. Jack restrained him as if pushing him to the ground to stop him from leaping off to save the day.

"You can't."

"I'm not going to sit here as watch them burn! Because, that will really change the future, won't it?!"

"They're not going to burn, they have fire alarms."

Sighing, The Doctor stopped pushing against Jack's restraining hands.

"You're right." He said simply. Jack lowered his hands and took a deep breath.

"See, it'll all be-DOCTOR, No!"

But it was too late; he had already barged through the door into the night and down the stairs as Jack tried to chase after him.

Shading his face with the coat, he checked to see if anyone was about before pulling out the Sonic screwdriver and carefully jumping inside.

He wanted to collapse. All the stuff; The familiar scent of cheap candles, the heating, the sounds of the washing machine and the T.V and the Ove-oh!

He crept towards the kitchen and diminished the flames away silently, turning off the oven and even fixing the fire alarms above his head which were actually broken. Jack snuck behind him.

"Right, it's fixed. They're safe let's go!"

The Doctor nodded, following him out the door but not before pausing and peeking around the corner.

"Doctor!" He hissed. "We have to leave. C'mon!"

But The Doctor was moving, only, not in the direction that Jack had wanted. He was stepping towards the room and watching over the tiny Rose as her chest rose and fell with every breath. He couldn't stop. His feet were moving without him commanding them to, his neck was straining to catch sight of her soft baby blonde hair as she curled her hands upwards; straining for attention.

"Doctor, No!" Jack put his hand on his shoulder, but the Doctor shook it off, still moving. "You can't. You know you can't..."

"You want to do something useful?" He said softly. "Go keep watch."

Jack begged him not to, but it was no use. He was in a trance, literally stuck under Rose's spell as he took slow soft steps towards her. HE was so entranced, so besotted by her that Jack couldn't, he just couldn't tear him away. This would be the last time he would ever be able to talk to Rose. To see her. And he couldn't take that moment. He just couldn't say a word. What was life without a little risk?

So with that, Jack stepped out of the bedroom and kept a ferocious eye on Jackie, ready to grab the Doctor and run at any stir. The Doctor was talking softly to Rose, who had awoken but was watching him silently.

"And you're going to save the day and me. You always save me." He'd whispered.

She pushed her baby claw towards him and he just didn't have the self control not to touch it with his own. But he continued, rolling circles into her palm in a calming manner with his index finger.

"You're going to battle werewolves. Well, werewolf. You're going to rescue so many people; you're going to rescue me. Did I already say that? Because it's true. You're going to be Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth."

"Doctor..." Jack whispered, watching as Rose looked sleepily at the Doctor as if taking in every line of his story. The Doctor watched her, his hair nearly falling in his forehead, grinning as she slowly drifted back into sleep.

"I'll meet you again. Just you wait. I'll have a different face and I'll be grumpy but it'll be me. That's what made me better Rose, you. You'll make me better. You always do."

Jack put his hand on the Doctor's arm and pulled gently. The Doctor nodded, hoping that Jack heard none of his conversation with Rose.

"Well. Happy Birthday, Rose..."

And with that, they left the flat, locked the door and walked back to the flat.


	5. 3 Years Old

**This is just a quick message to say thanks to the follows/favourite and reviews. They are loved and cherished (and encouraged please ;) ). **

**Thanks for everything, open you enjoy this chapter,**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

"Why is it…"Jack began, leaning on the doorway on the kitchen and watching the Doctor with unblinking eyes, "that you only come here once a year?"

The Doctor (in a completely unrecognisable attire with the inclusion of a ridiculous hat, too) looked straight at Jack, as if trying to look through him, but Jack gave a stronger stance.

"She doesn't need to be baby sat so why am I here? To call you when something interesting happens? Because it's Rose, you're always interested. Everything she does is interesting so it's ridiculous that you only call once a year."

The Doctor tried ignoring him so Jack drove up to him, jabbing him in the chest with his pointed finger.

"Why am I doing something that _you_ should be doing?" He yelled, jabbing him in the chest again. "Why am I here just to deal with the left overs? No –please tell me. Why are YOU here?!"

The Doctor didn't say anything. Just walked past, grabbed a pile of pointless letters from a counter and started to flit through them. He held up a small 'Thank you' card. Jack took it, holding the rough material in his fingers as he traced his small hand print. He'd hadn't even noticed it, he chucked most of the mail aside not really caring about it but this small card. This small insignificant card was all the evidence he needed to remind him of their mission.

On a sheet of white A6 sized card, a hand written note was scrawled. 'Thank you for my birthday card', and then below, in the bluest of paints was a small hand print. He stroked the card solemnly, feeling guilty for yelling but again grateful he had.

"I sent Rose a birthday card from number 45." He lifted the card from Jack's grip and placed it into the inside pocket of his jacket. He'd said 'Rose' in a scary way. As if treasuring every letter and every sound of the syllable when it left his lips, he said it delicately, gracing the fact that it was able to be said.

He started walking out the door, leaving Jack to yell at blank ears .

"Where the hell are you going?!"

But the door slammed against his nose. Grumbling, Jack grabbed his coat and stormed off after him.

He'd found the Doctor a while later, hiding around a corner with the hat pulled low creating a dark silhouette across his face. He had a large, black over coat wrapped around him and a very, very long colourful scarf wrapped around his neck. He tried to talk again.

"What are you-"

The Doctor shushed him and looked across the square. Rose, now three years old, bubbly, beautiful and smeared with chocolate across her blushing cheeks ran to and from her mum. She giggled happily as a dark skinned boy a little older than her, chased her as she hid behind her mother's legs.

"Oh,"

Jack watched as Rose ran circles around Jackie and her friend, but then she ran out the circle towards Jack and The Doctor. Stepping back in fear, the Doctor grabbed Jack and threw him by the T-shirt out of view and followed.

Rose stretched her hands out, grabbed the fabric from the ground where the two men had been and ran back towards her mum showing in pride what she had found.

"I can't believe we're hiding from a three year old!" Jack hissed, unable to hide his smile. The Doctor laughed and went to pat his scarf but…it wasn't there.

"Where's my scarf?!"

Jack peeked around the corner, snapping back against the wall as he did so.

"Oh Shi-"

"Time and a place please, Jack."

Jack sighed. "She has your scarf…You've officially lost that.."

"She's probably slobbering all over it now…" The Doctor sighed, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Jack bumped his arm and winked at him.

"Would of thought that's your type of thing"

There was a threatening pause before Jack apologized.

"If she keeps hold of that scarf she might end up recognising the…"

"Go on!" Jack jeered smiling. "Say it! Say 'scent'."

He was given another warning glare and so he decided it was best to apologize again.

"Well, I might be able to approach Jackie to get the scarf back if I'm wearing this disguise…"

Jack shook his head, shaking in disgust at yet another stupid and risky trip which could potentially ruin the masochist's life.

"That's a disguise?!"

The Doctor pulled his hat down further so that his whole features were shaded. "Yes, wish me luck…"

He started walking off yet Jack grabbed him.

"Why is it, that I'm the one always, ALWAYS, taking risks clever, well thought risks and you, who makes the rules and plays God, makes some stupid mistakes. You can't go there. You'll be completely recognised!"

The Doctor had ignored him (AGAIN) and had already walked off, addressing Jackie in a really silly Scottish accent. (WHAT HAPPENED TO RULE ONE?) Jackie seemed to nod understandably, grabbed Rose in the mists of running and pulled her up to the Doctor. He stepped back, keeping his face well hidden.

"Caught a'cold…" He sniffed pulling his coat up tighter despite the warm weather.

Rose squealed as her mum held her out, as if offering her as a gift which he just couldn't accept. She rolled the scarf around her neck, tucking it away from his grasps, taking no notice of her mother's protests as she did so.

"Rose, give it back to the nice man,"

"NO!"

"Rose!"

"NO!" She squealed again as her mum snatched it from her and handed it back to the Doctor. He looked on it; ashamed and full of disgrace as Rose began to cry.

"Rose, c'mon. Stop being silly. Sorry about this."

The Doctor shrugged and started to offer his own apologies as Jack half laughed at him but Rose cried and tried to hold her hands out towards him looking for that comfort which she didn't want from the scarf-stealer of a mother.

He had to stop himself from taking her away from her mother's clutches and hugging her close.

"Rose, stop it."

But she writhed and struggled out from her mother's arms and held onto the Doctor's leg, her brown eyes bloodshot as she continued to cry into his leg. Jackie tried to grab her, but she shifted away, hidden against the warmth of the Doctor but under his protection, too.

"Rose! You're getting snot on the neighbours trouser. Come here."

Rose howled through her tears and scrubbed her nose against the unmoving Doctor. He'd kept incredibly still, trusting none of his senses as he kept himself in a straight and patient stand. In the depth of his insides, however, he was hoping to every speakable star and every possible planet that Jack couldn't see him struggling to keep in control of his tear ducts.

"No!"

"I'm so sorry about this," Jackie seethed again, grabbing a firm grip on Rose's small waist. She was wearing a pink shirt grown dirty by mud and food; her jeans were tiny and on her feet were light up trainers. Jackie's hands slipped and Rose held tighter onto his leg.

He'd thought it through. As long as he was careful, he could stay unrecognised. He just had to be clever about it.

He gently swooped Rose into his arms, holding her away from his face but still in the comfortable strangeness of his arms and talked to her one on one.

"This scarf's al'old…" He said in his thicker accent than he used with Queen Victoria. He made a disgusted face at the scarf but reached into his pocket. "What you want is a banana!" He placed the banana into her hands and handed her back to Jackie as she looked at the fruit in triumph.

"Sorry" Jackie mouthed awkwardly. Holding Rose on her hip, she smiled, thanked him and walked off. Behind her, Rose turned to wave at him, snuggling into her mother's side ignoring the fact that she was being told off.

Feeling his heart beat a little faster and the warmth of his arms burn his skin through the coat, he smiled under his hat and waved back.

Jack was speechless.


	6. 4 Years Old

The Doctor shut the TARDIS door and placed the key in the top pocket of his Hawaiian shirt. Jack managed to splutter out a question or two before losing his breath.

"Fake tan?"

The Doctor nodded curtly, readjusting his novelty sunglasses against his latex type nose.

"Face mask?" Jack asked huskily, feeling his insides ready to cave as he took in the absurd sight in front of his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, daring Jack to continue. He took the challenge eagerly.

"Novelty beach wear?!" He squeaked, leaning on the side table and holding onto his gut in agony.

The Doctor sighed.

"Go on, let it out…"

Jack roared with laughter as he stood back to take every feature of the Doctor in. The oversized sunglasses, the rubber nose, for God's sake he'd even put false teeth in! The hat from last year squeezed over (his clearly too big) head. His skin tone had darkened into a bright orange, he was wearing Khaki shorts, ridiculous yellow sandals and just to top it off a vibrant red and white leafed shirt with the same long and dark gothic coat from the year before.

Jack snorted into the air, doubled up as he then laughed to the floor, tears streaking his face as he pointed and slapped his thighs in humour.

"Well, that's quite enough…"

But it wasn't. Jack was still crying and pointing at the Doctor, making him feel more self-conscious and idiotic with every jester.

"Jack! Seriously. Least I'm trying!"

Jack was still laughing.

Picking up the first thing to meet his grip, he threw it at Jack so that he stood up and stopped giggling.

"What was that for?!" He yelled rubbing the back of his head and glaring the T.V remote, yet the smile wouldn't leave his face.

"Just…'Vamoose' will ya?!" He muttered shoving him through the door grabbing a £5 note of the table as he did so.

The Park was full of children, there were loads of them with their parents taking advantage of the sun and they ran about across the grass, slid down the slide and hopped through the hopscotch. Jack shifted the stupid sunglasses around his face, grumbling about it as he leant against the Doctor, soaking up the shine.

The Doctor tried shuffling him off but it wasn't working. So he just leant on his coat and looked across the park. Rose was growing older too fast. At four years old, her hair was longer and tied behind her head, her smile more familiar and her eyes more brown than he had ever noticed. She was struggling out of the pushchair, eager to assert her independence as Mickey poked her and ran off, followed by another female friend.

Jackie grabbed her hand before she leapt off and pointed to an empty spot by the Doctor. He froze, and shuffled closer to Jack, trying to shift out of sight despite the fact he was heavily disguised. Rose barely paid attention and whined when she was splattered with a heavy load of sun cream. But with that, she was free to run off.

Jackie sat by the Doctor and read. She tried a few times to emphasize the fact that she was 'free woman' but Jack had (stupidly!) put her off the idea by putting his arm around the Doctors shoulders and kissing him on the cheek.

He scrubbed at his cheek viciously and hit him round the back of the head with the novel in his hands ( a prop) once Jackie had returned to her book.

Rose continued to run past them for the day and he kept his eyes on her the whole time, watching as she giggled and played about, tripping over him and a few other people some of the time. He'd worried when in the depths of the trees, a girl a little older than Rose with dark hair and bright eyes had pushed her over so that Rose scraped her knee. He was so worried that he was quick to jump to the rescue, but she'd just sat up and pushed the girl back a little harder so that the older girl cried and ran off.

He couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Unfortunately she'd been caught for that and had been told off by several mums, including her own, but soon got defended again when Jackie believed everyone else was too quick to 'gang' up on her daughter by telling her off.

"C'mon Rose. Lunch time." She said, grabbing her hand and pulling her way from the tuting disapproval of the other mums.

"But I wanna play!" She whined pointing to the trees and then changing her mind and pointing to the park.

Jackie rolled her eyes and pulled down to where she had sat. Rose didn't really eat much. She was too fixed on the thought of ice cream which was refused but still pleaded for.

"I want ice cream!"

"No, now eat your sandwich…" Jackie said, but smiled when Rose frowned at the sandwich. She didn't need to be a part of the stupid mother society for those mums who were strict on their child, putting them on a ridiculous diet and regular exercise regime and assuring that they were spoilt rotten at all times.

All she needed was Rose to be content.

She looked in disgust at the sandwich shoved in front of her as it fell to bits in her hands. She practically ran off in glee when her mum dismissed her to go play with the other children. Jack stretched out beside the Doctor and then jumped up, shuffling the disguise on his face.

"Where you going?" The Doctor asked, glad that he finally found his own space once again but annoyed at the fact that Jack was so easily bored.

He shrugged. "Shopping?"

The Doctor didn't move apart from to turn a page of the book he had been 'reading'.

"Care to join?"

There came no reply.

"Well, see you later," Left to enjoy the country's uncommon heat and watch as his soon-to-be best friend practised her running,(that was going to come in handy) The Doctor surveyed the scene surrounding him.

When it came to the very end of the day (and the sun) so that the sky became cloudy, Jackie decided it was time for them to leave. They were some of the last people left at the park including the Doctor and feeling proud of his thick disguise; he smiled ( actually aimed a direct smile at her!) when Rose accidently ran to his leg again , then ran off blushing a little.

"C'mon, we're going home." Jackie stated, looking disappointedly at the sky and hplding her hands out as if asking for rain.

"Ice cream!"

Jackie sighed, cursing under her breath as she paid for a small ice cream, trusted Rose with it and began to sort out the pram.

But the girl from earlier, the one The Doctor was beginning to dislike, shoved Rose with her shoulder as she walked past, causing the ice cream to roll off the cone in her hands. Turning around with an angry glare, Rose pushed the rest of the cone into the face of the older child and began to bite, punch and kick as she launched herself at the opposition.

He should have helped prevented it, he knew he should have done something but he just let it happen. Jackie had turned round and angrily pulled a screaming Rose off the other child and shoved her into the pushchair. She yelled and scolded her daughter but Rose sat still, ignoring it all, stroppily glaring at her new found enemy.

He was by the ice cream van now, watching secretly as the two parents of the spoilt and bruised kid began to yell at Jackie calling her unfair things like an 'unfit' mother all the while trying to comfort their child.

In a fluster, Jackie argued back, claiming that her daughter wouldn't have done such a thing for no reason (which was true) but had contradicted herself when (once the other parents were out of side) she'd practically gone ape on Rose.

"Ice cream!" She cried, forgetting that she was in trouble, hands outstretched towards the van.

"No! You wasted it by cramming it viciously into the other girls face!"

"Ice cream!" She cried again, her eyes watering as her mother looked disapprovingly onto her. Her gaze softened.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I haven't got the money. I left my purse at home and…"

Rose of course didn't really understand this but reached and cried as Jackie tightened the straps of the pushchair.

"Ice cream?" She muttered, her bottom lip wobbling as she slowly came to terms with the fact that she was the only child there who hadn't had an ice cream yet. Mickey had been spoilt and got two!

Sneaking behind a busied Jackie, the Doctor approach the sulking Rose, shoving the change in his back pocket and offered her the ice cream in his hand. She took it greedily, her eyes playfull as she looked in pure joy at the melting cone.

He put his fingers to his lips, winked and walked quickly off, hiding between the mixes of retreating parents as Jackie again, turned to see her daughter content and enjoying an ice cream. Where the hell had that come from?!

He'd turned back, only quickly to see Jackie confused but somewhat glad to have a silent child as Rose waved to the strange man as a thank you.


	7. 5 Years Old

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**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

Jackie swiped her hand down Rose's front, trying to get rid of invisible fluff of her jumper, for the seventh time today.

The Doctor was hidden behind a wall, watching as Jackie fussed over an unimpressed Rose who was growling at her reflection in a puddle on the concrete. She was wearing a very neat school uniform and had her long hair in French plaits by her cheeks. Over that was an very thick, large coat, a pink bag and a pink umbrella. Jackie fussed more trying to take another picture or so but Rose was protested.

"Just one more picture that's it."

"Muuum! No!"

Even in her younger years, she was taking control of the situation around her.

They started walking to school, her small hand in her mothers and the Doctor just behind, hidden by pillars and traffic.

When they got to the school gates, Rose insisted that she walk in to the classroom on her own to which her mum only just agreed. Her face was streaked with tears, smudging her eye makeup; her lips were trembling as she looked proudly onto Rose, crushed under her arms.

After a quick kiss and an tight hug goodbye, she went running off into the playground making a new friend the minute her feet touched the ground.

He decided to walk back, waiting impatiently for her return which took most of the day and when he spotted her and Jackie walking home, he practically threw himself as a dozing Jack who stood up now, and flexed his arms.

"They're back!" He said, throwing Jack out the way and throwing himself to the carpet.

"Great, yeah. Don't mind me. Just standing in the way..."

The Doctor had his ear to the carpet.

"Okay, how'd it go?"

"I don't know yet," The Doctor hushed, "They're just talking about it now."

In the downstairs flat, Rose was being pushed against the table as Jackie placed a plate of spaghetti on toast towards her. Rose was famished and despite its obvious heat as the steam began to rise off it, started eating it immediately.

"Rose, slow down..." Sitting down across from her, Jackie ran her hand through Rose's tangled hair but smiled proudly. "How'd your first day of school go?"

"Great ,mum! I made a friend! Her name's Shareen! She lives 'ere as well! At number for'y two! Can I go and play after dinner? "

"We'll see, you've got to have a bath, yet"

Rose groaned.

"Please, mum! Please! I said I would!"

Smiling she waved her hand off in a distant manner. "Once you've finished for dinner, but when I call you, you're to come in. No complaints!"

"I know!" Rose yelled excitedly, shovelling the food down her throat as fast as she could.

"Slow down! You're going to make yourself sick!" Jack chastised.

But Rose was already holding up the plate in front of Jackie's face. "Done! Can I go play now?!"

"Get changed out of your uniform first..."

"Mum!" Rose whined, dragging her feet closer to the door

From the watching flat above, Jack nudged a grinning Doctor. "Number forty three that's two doors from us."

The Doctor didn't say anything; just leaped up to press himself against the front window where Rose had already ran to. She had tomato sauce around her face and along her arm. Her knees were scraped and she knocked forcefully upon the door in front of her, unafraid.

Another little girl, with dark brown hair and dark eyes, jumped excitedly and followed Rose as they ran to the bottom of the square beneath the flats.

"Stay where I can see you!" Jackie yelled form the window.

Rose rolled her eyes.

Running off, the girls continued to play a game of 'mums and babies' and Rose was keen to imitate her mother.

"No! Naugh'y Ba-y-by! If you're bad I'll give you a smack!"

Shareen continued to pretend to cry.

"Stop crying! You're embarrassing me! Why are you so naugh'y?!"

Giggling, she jumped up and waged her finger at her new friend.

"You are such a "bitch" Stop crying or I will hurt you!"

"WHAT?!" The Doctor yelled through the window. Jack continued to laugh.

"Imitating adults? This is hilarious!" He scoffed, covering his hands over his mouth as he rushed to the window to watch.

"Jack! This is not funny! Her mum would never talk to her like that!"

Jack shrugged, smiling. "No but she does live around a load of drunks."

"Speak for yourself," The Doctor muttered, watching out the other window as the girls laughed and continue to play around.

"I was..."

The Doctor stood up, as if ready to punch him in the face but Jack quickly added "kidding".

"You better be, Jack because if she recognises-"

"I know, I know! I was joking."

The Doctor looked at him hard for a moment or two then returned to his original position.

"Why did she say that?!" He mumbled, glaring through the window as the kids continued to play around.

"They're imitating what they see, so parents, television like. Where else is she going to learn all that? She's just exaggerating..."

He made a face behind Jack's back.

"Why would she do it, though?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Fun! To look clever and grown up. To let out exasperation and frustration...to be a kid!"

"Yeah, but swearing?!"

"You're so naive!" Jack stretched out again before leaning against the window. He took a deep breath and looked at the Doctor, his accent becoming thick.

"How long were you with her, after you both abandoned me at Bad Wolf?"

Sniffing, like he always did when he wanted to avoid a difficult question, The Doctor's shoulders lifted into a shrug.

"You'll find out soon enough..."He lied.

Jack rolled his eyes and looked downwards, watching as Mickey approached the scene. Shareen suggested they play a new game and as soon as Jack heard it, he began choking on his own breath as he pushed The Doctor closer out the window.

"What?!"

"You'd better get down there!" Jack urged suddenly, a smile playing on his lips. "They're playing Doctor and Rose's!"

Laughing at his own joke, the Doctor nudged him out the way but kept an eye on the three as they found a small, dark hideout which was to be the emergency room.

"You're not funny," He said sighing sadly, but even he couldn't deny he liked the sound of the names together.

"Tell me, d'ya play 'Doctors and Rose's' the same as 'Doctors and nurses'?"

Misunderstanding, the Doctor shrugged and nodded. Jack howled in laughter.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours!" He bellowed, mirthfully.

"What?"

"Your screwdriver," Jack winked, still laughing for no apparent reason. "After all," He continued still chuckling, "It is sonic."

Giving him a bewildered look, he leaned further out the window as Rose asserted playfully that Mickey was to be the patient and Shareen and herself; the nurses.

"But seriously did you ever..." He waggled his eyebrows. "With Rose?"

"Jack, I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Yeah you do...course you do..."

The Doctor gave him a blank face.

"Okay," he reiterated, "Did you ever play..'Doctor's and nurses' ...with Rose?" He showed inverted commas with his fingers.

The Doctor knitted his eyebrows together. "Not really, though we do have to pretend to be other people sometimes to stop complications. That's what the psychic paper is for." He waited a few moments as Jack watched him manically.

"Did," he corrected himself.

Jack sighed, dissatisfied. "So, did you ever ...'role play'."

The Doctor grinned as a memory filled his thoughts. "Oh yeah loads of times!"

Jack guffawed and slapped him on the back as the Doctor continued. "Like at 'expeditions and stuff'. We used to deliberately dress up as characters from a different sci-fi shows just to annoy the geeks. It was hilarious!"

"What?"

"You know. 'Role play'. We used to muck about and dress up as irrelevant characters to the ones involved in the films that we advertised..."

"I don't understand?" Jack said.

"Well, they had an advertisement for 'Zombie Massacre, Revenge Of The Dead VII' so Rose and I thought it would be funny to dress up as Simba and Nala and tell one of the actor's that we loved him in 'The Lion King' although they wasn't even in The Lion King!"

He laughed out loud and grinned into the wind, shaking his head a little, really laughing for once. "It was a great... Me and Rose...We were great"

There was silence as The Doctor took in the words and sniffed against them as if dismissing the unwanted reminder of his loss.

He'd totally misunderstood the concept and Jack couldn't be bothered to explain and so just watched as the Doctor's broken expression turn to horror.

"What are they doing?!" He hissed as Jack laughed shaking his head at the Doctor's naivety.

"Playing Doctors and Nurses..." He said.

Rose had picked up some stones from the floor and told Mickey that to make him better she would need to use the stones. Shareen joined in, ordering him about and saying that he'd have to strip of his clothes so they could make him better. Rose took no notice; pretending to make medicine.

The Doctor grabbed a half eaten orange from the table beside the sofa and threw it with perfect aim at the window of Jackie's flat.

Jack looked to him, his eyebrows raised as he shook his head, disapprovingly.

"You're so ridiculous..."

Jackie jumped as the noise startled her but looked at the clock then leant out the window to call Rose.

Mickey had taken off his trousers by now, causing Rose to scream in fright when she turned around to see the 'ill paitent' with some sort of worm attached his private bits. Screaming, she pelted the stones in her hand at him and ran several steps away, placing her hands over her tightly closed eyes and screaming at him.

"Take it away! Take it away!"

The Doctor also had his hands over his eyes but couldn't help but peak at Rose as she continued to scream when Mickey started approaching her. She regretted throwing all the medicinal rocks and wished she'd kept some.

Leaning out the window, Jackie offhandedly called Rose, yelling that it was bath time. She hadn't even noticed that Rose was already running up the flights of stairs towards home.

Jack continued to laugh as he watched an awkward Mickey and Shareen standing around, unsure whether or not to continue playing in Rose's absence.

"She's such a prude!"

The Doctor made a face, and collapsed into the armchair, not quite sure whether to laugh or fast forward in time so he could punch Mickey in the face however; an important thought crossed his mind, distracting him.

"Jack..."

"Yeah?" He hummed, still sighing in delight as he watched poor Mickey blush from the window.

"OF COURSE WE **_DIDN'T_** PLAY DOCTORS AND NURSES!"

* * *

The Doctor stayed a little longer than usual, eager to hear if Rose confided in her mother about the days events and sure enough, she eventually did.

She was sat between her mother's knees, towel like a tent wrapped around her as her mum combed her long hair through with a small nit comb despite Rose's protests.

"Mum?"

She hummed in response.

"What's wrong with Mickey?"

"Rose!" Jackie scolded, wiping the comb on a bit of tissue paper and attacking a live nit. "Nothing is wrong with him, why would you say that?!"

"S'just" Rose began, looking at her knees and biting her lip. "He's got a worm on his private bits"

"Rose! You shouldn't be look-...it's not a worm...oh, I'll tell you when you're older..." She finalised shaking her head and sighing; exasperated.

"But I wanna know now!"

"Rose!" Jackie warned sturdily, laughing a little.

From the above flat, Jack howled with further laughter and even The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle, too.


	8. 6 Years Old

**I hope your really enjoy this one even though it wasn't as long. Everything is appreciated of course, I hope you enjoy it. Please don't forget to review, (they assure me that I'm posting quality stuff) haha! Thanks to you all!**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

The Doctor smiled into the sun of the open window and watched the kids from the balcony. He'd only just landed and took his normal place at the window because of an amusing phone call from Jack.

Beneath them Rose was giggling as Mickey began to ride over on a big yellow bike. Rose look in awe, stroking the bike rails carefully and grinning as she gently rung the bell.

From what he could hear, Rose demanded to know where she could get such a contraption but was apparently "too young" for a bike according to Mickey.

After a while of Mickey bragging about it and Rose begging to play on it, he gave her a go, balancing her on the bike, ready to jump away so that she could pedal.

"Oh dear God If she's planning to learn how to ride one of those things then she'll need a Doctor to be able to patch her up again...Doctor?"

The Doctor was already out the door, disguise flowing behind him as he ran down the stairs of the flat thumping his feet as he did so. Jack watched from the balcony edge.

He was trying to look casual in another heavy disguise as he hid behind a pillar watching Rose carefully but making sure he was well out of sight.

Mickey was holding on to the bars as Rose sat on the uncomfortable seat, uncomplaining and grinning; her excitement unbelievably evident

"Go!" Mickey jumped out the way but she literally fell sideward's to the floor.

She scrunched up her face and held onto the top of her right arm, as if refusing to let herself cry. She walked the pain off, breathing deeply through her mouth as she circled a small space clenching the pain out of her arm and then climbed back on the bike with Mickey's help. She'd already gained a few scrapes on her ankles from where the bike had swiped them.

"You're supposed to pedal, Rose."

"Shut-up Mickey!" She growled as she tried again and failed, falling to the floor in a heap. She sniffed (not unlike the Doctor) and gently patted the graze on her knee before wincing and wiping the blood onto the back of her shorts.

"How about if I push from the back?" Mickey asked, gently taking the role of a big brother as he helped her up

"Whatever," She mumbled climbing back on it.

Again she fell off, her foot twisted at a scary angle as the bike fell on it. She clenched her fists, continuing to try.

This happened a few times, creating new grazes and bruises to brand her skin but by the final time; she'd achieved her purpose, kind of.

Jack looked from the window eagerly; willing her on through the power of thought as she angrily clambered back onto the seat. This time, as Mickey pushed, Rose pedalled as fast as her feet could go, grinning wildly as she rode around in a circle.

"I Did it!" she yelled still pedalling as Jackie clapped from the window above; yelling her praises, Jack accidently forgot himself and whooped, too but jumped out the way immediately before he was caught.

She continued to ride for a moment or two, gaining speed as she rode around, in and out of trees and random obstacles.

"Well done, Rose!" Mickey cheered, but Rose didn't hear him. She turned behind her, to see if she could catch any of the sounds as they fell from his mouth.

"Huh?!"

She had ridden into decorative stone stump, flew over the handle bars and against the floor in a tangle, whimpering slightly when she tried to move.

The Doctor, hidden beneath his disguise ran to her assistance immediately.

"Rose?! Rose! Talk to me Rose, are you okay?!" He yelled as Mickey fixed himself to the floor, thinking of how much trouble he'd be in with his Gran when he told her.

She whimpered again as she tried to moved but murmured against his protective stance.

"Yeah...Who are you?"

Mickey began trembling as The Doctor beckoned him near.

"Go get Jackie, she's in number-"

"I know..." He mumbled unable to find his feet properly as he watched Rose become gently cradled and soothed by a stranger.

"Go!"He yelled, frightening Mickey so that he burst into a run back to the flat.

"Rose, I need to be very, very brave for me. Can you do that?"He asked, lightly touching her numbed arm so that it glowed slightly and turned to a better position. She felt the pain surge through her arm As she scrunched her eyes closed and snatched it from the Doctor's hands.

He hadn't finished.

"Depends, has Mickey gone?" She whispered, gently allowing for the Doctor to carefully pull her up into a better position without touching her arm.

"Yes, why?"

And with that, she burst into tears, cuddling her bruised arm against her as he gently tried to soothe her, keeping as far away as possible but still close enough to comfort her.

He didn't want to say anything else apart from asking if she hurt anywhere, which was obvious. He was afraid to say too much but didn't want the moment to pass by too quickly. He'd managed to get her to stand up; tears and snot coating her face as she carefully copied his heavy breathing.

Jackie burst through the bottom doors of the flat and ran towards a crying Rose, swooping her up into her arms and holding her as she continued to cry. Her arm tucked away from view all the while.

The Doctor had already stepped back into the shadows, walking back to where Jack was but staying cautious so that he went un-noticed.

Jackie continued to hum and rock Rose as if she were tiny again. She mentioned the hospital to which Rose panicked at and cried more at, soaking her mother's neck in new tears.

Jack tried to talk to him as he burst through the door but just let his own voice die down as he placed his palms against the window.

The Doctor went unmoving from the window the moment a taxi arrived, taking the three of them to the hospital. He was statuesque as he waited, Jack wasn't even sure if he was breathing, he wouldn't talk, wouldn't move, wouldn't even think about how it would obviously get better.

He just waited outside the window until he saw them return, her giggling away, lollipop in her mouth, hand in hand with her mum and a pink cast on the other arm, already signed by the Nurse who'd illustrated a pretty flower on the underside of it.

Rose totally forgot about the stranger who had helped her, she forgot about the funny hat, strange accent and silly clothes. She forgot his kindness, forgot his sweet scent, forgot how he'd calmed her down and told her she was brave. She'd even forgot how it had looked a little better the moment he'd touched it. Though it was only as he'd touched it that a jolt of pain shot through her arm causing her to freak out and snatch he hand back.

Sighing in relief, The Doctor grinned at his hand, he'd just given away three years of his life just to heal her arm into a clean break rather than dislocated, seriously damaged and possible unfixable. She'd moved so and forbade him to touch her arm leaving the process only half complete. She hadn't even when it glowed with soft golden yellowed wisps. She hadn't noticed that underneath the ridiculous disguise was the man who she was going to fall in love with.


	9. 7 Years Old

**This started off a lot different to it's ending but I realised it was something tat just had to be included! I really hope you enjoy this one, I liked 'researching'it. :) **

**Please keep reviewing, following, favouriting etc, Just so I know it's still reaching the interests of the reader! Thank you all again! You're amazing!**

**Youronlyastory xxx**

* * *

Swiping the sweat from his forehead, Jack flexed for the sixth time in three minutes.

"Really?"The Doctor asked tutting in disgust as he threw his coat on the sofa. He too had beads of sweat running down the sides of his face but unlike some people, he didn't feel need to show case it.

Flexing once more, he reached down and grabbed the corner of the carpet.

"On three. One. Two-"

But Jack was ripping up the carpet on two meaning the Doctor had no choice but to join in. Tearing it from the floor boards, Jack roared and flexed. Again. That was going to get annoying.

"Right." Jack said breathing hard. "Floorboards next."

Taking another hour or so, they messed about with the floor until all that lay between them and the Tyler flat was a thin layer of concrete and special ceiling wallpaper.

"Doesn't this count as stalking?" Jack muttered after a while, dusting the bits of floor and splinters from his hair and hands.

The Doctor shrugged and looked to the ground. They were going have to make up some really brilliant excuse to the landlord...

"Was your idea anyway, Jack,"

Jack nodded, smiling cheekily as he gulped down the remainder of his tea. "Still, it was in your honour..."

"I wish you hadn't said that."

He shrugged and grinned at him.

A few hours later and by a few, he meant three, The Doctor was again pressed against the floor as if trying to hug it. Jack had chosen to sit on the sofa, (he could still hear the conversation from here) and was almost to tempted to rest his feet on the Doctor's back , but he decided not to.

Downstairs Rose was playing with her toys but something made her stand up, toy in hand, and hang around the doorway to her mum's room.

Jackie was overjoyed to see her, her face lighting up and the fact that Rose practically had built in sensors for when Jackie needed her. When

"Come here, Rose. Come here" She whispered patting the empty spot of the bed. Her mum smiled softly at her as she clambered up onto the bed, staying silent as her mum pulled the photo album across her lap closer towards Rose.

She was pointing to a particular picture.

"Whose that? That's your daddy,"

Her large brown eyes flitted up to meet her mothers.

"You weren't old enough to remember when he died." She continued her voice soft as soothing as she looked at Rose full in the face. She nodded her head, turning away as she mutterd "1987...7th of November..."

She turned to meet Rose's curious gaze again, talking softly still so as not to frighten her with the harsh realism of the all to familiar story of one car, on father and one Jordan Street . "Do you remember what I told you? The day that Stuart Hoskins and Sarah Clarkson got married?"

She looked behind Rose's head, sighing softly so that Rose looked back down to the picture a different one of her mother being cuddled by her father.

"He was always having adventures,"

Rose couldn't help but imagine some great explorer or superhero with her dad's face plastered on it.

"Oh, he would have loved to have seen you now..."

Rose gave her, her best smile, it almost reaching out to Jackie as a promise that Rose could fix it. She'd make her mum feel better.

"He died so close to home, I wasn't there." There was a soft pause before she added. "Nobody was."

"It was a hit and run driver. Never found out who" Her eyes stayed fixed on the plaster board in front of her as the memory became real again. Jackie Tyler, her hair all done up with her peach-ed flowers to match her peach dress as she held baby Rose in the car seat in the crook of her arm as someone informed her of a terrible accident. But Jackie was already witnessing it

"He was dead by the time the ambulance got there." She'd forgot herself as she muttered to the air, almost questioning a lost faith, "I only wish there'd been someone there for him."

Rose looked down at her purple jumper, at the seams and the fraying wool and then to the open photo album.

Her mum was always insistent that Rose knew what had happened to her dad, so Rose knew why he didn't have a dad and on every anniversary after every sentimental or lonely moment (or in most situations, after several bottles of wine) , Jackie brought of the old worn out family album and looked back to the familiar pages that she loved.

One particular photograph was of Pete, arms folded with a stripy shirt standing against some hedges as he grinned the camera, his hair a fading auburn; thick but gradually getting thinner. It was the photograph Rose always thought of when someone mentioned her dad although it wasn't her favourite. Her favourite was the one below it, the one that Jackie liked; the one she'd pointed out just now.

Jackie's hair was blonde, permed and curly. She wore with her blue spotty top with Pete cuddled against her shoulders as they smiled through to the lens of the camera. These photos were rare because despite the obvious love between the Tyler's between Jackie and Pete, they argued frequently about everything and everything so to have one photo of the two of them really snuggled up, grinning. It was magic.

It was at that moment, at that very moment as her mum sighed sadly to the wall that Rose decided to take charge. If ever she found the chance, she would fix things, she would make things right, she'd fulfil two of her mother's wishes. She'd visit her dad so that he got to see her a little older than a baby and she'd make sure he never had to die alone.

"Stupid vase," Jackie whispered as she pulled Rose close and cuddled her tight.

* * *

That night, just before bed, Rose curled up and shut her eyes tight , whispering as she spoke to the image in her head. She imagined that he was there, her dad, reading her a bedtime story just like he would have done every night. In her head, Pete did the voices, changing each character so they had a Northern or Scottish accent, so they had a different persona ; she imagined them giggling and Jackie telling him off for keeping Rose awake.

She imagined him tickling her as she screamed excitedly, begging him to stop untill she laughed in agony.

He'd bring her a glass of milk to help her sleep. He'd kiss her goodnight and then her mum would kiss her goodnight and they'd remind Rose how much they loved her.

She would become a daddy's girl and the stories would become a ritual, he'd never miss one, he'd always be there, a part of house, a part of the fuirniture, the family make-up that most families were lucky enough to have. He'd sell his tonic juice to make them rich and famous, but she wasn't worried about that. He'd be there every day, listening to her school tales and giving her advice, making her laugh as he imitated teachers she didn't like and given them silly faces when they drew them out.

She'd shut her eyes tighter now, picturing perfectly as he'd wake her up early on one of their 'special Saturdays' so that he could take them for a picnic somewhere in the country side. They'd take fruit juice and biscuits and they'd play football in the sun shine as Jackie cheered them on and eventually joined in, both of them fussing proudly over Rose when she scored a goal which her dad wasn't guarding properly.

He'd never let them down, not Jackie, not Rose. Neither of them, not even himself. He was there all the time to listen to Jackie as she complained about the washing, to talk to Rose about boys and why they were yucky. He'd console her when Jackie began crying over a soap or a ridiculous film, he'd make her laugh to cheer her up and do the same for Rose if one of her pets died. He'd be her hero. Someone she could really rely on.

* * *

"The driver was just a kid, He stopped" Jackie said as Rose leant back on her hand, her trainer ssliding across the bed material.

At this point Rose was crawling closer to her mum, listening intently as she carried on, her voice as soft as ever before.

"He waited for the Police. Wasn't his fault, 'some reason Pete just ran out." She took a deep breath her blue eyes started watering. "People say there was this girl," Focusing closely, Rose lifted up her head to meet her glassy blue eyes.

"And she sat with Pete while he was dying...She held his hand. Then she was gone."

Jackie took another pause as she nodded, tears threatening to cloud her view.

"Never found out who she was," Jackie finished, her voice raising an octave.

Above them, The Doctor was pushing himself against the floor, closing his eyes and remembering as he watched Rose kiss Pete on the forehead and then allowed herself to be towed away. He thought of Pete, brave Pete Tyler defending the rest of the world, ( his parallel self defending the parallel world) for the sake of one girl, defender of the Earth. Rose Tyler.

He'd seen him. He'd got to see him at his highest, when Rose had just been born, seen him first falling in love with his beautiful little girl who was soon going to save his life, save the world, save the Doctor and in that instance, Pete Tyler, just like he'd said, was the luckiest man ever.


	10. 8 Years Old

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* * *

Rose was suddenly regretting her decision to trust Shareen's new friends. Four or five girls were surrounding her, pulling her messy hair, pointing at her shabby knees and dirt streaked face.

"What's wrong with your mouth?" The lead asked and she moved closer and pushed Rose. She had pretty blue eyes, and golden and bright white hair compared to Rose's lank dark blonde knots.

Rose's hand went flying to cover her mouth; Shareen was standing a few paces away.

"Nuthin'." She said defensively as the girl shimmered her hips closer. Towards her.

"Ewww, is that food?"

Feeling self conscious, she wiped the corners of her mouth roughly, hissing when her arm caught the cut. It wasn't food...it was the 'Cherryade' Shareen's mum had given them before the other girls had arrived. Before they'd decided to play outside in the open, before Rose regretted her decision to agree to stay the night at Shareen's.

"What happened to your lips?" The leader said, sneering at Rose's face in disgust and pointing, her pack of people laughed. Her hair was longer than Rose's. She had nicer hair, a nicer smile, she smelt nicer. But she wasn't nice.

"Jus' a cut. Mickey hit it accidently wiv' a bat when we were playin' rounders"

"What's wrong with the way you talk?"

Beside her sides, her fists curled into tight balls. "Nuthin'. Why?"

Shareen had moved further away, regretting her mum even inviting them round. If it wasn't for her and her stupid birthday party than maybe her and Rose could've enjoyed each other's presence. She didn't see why her mum felt that she had to invite all these supposed 'friends' anyway. They were the popular group of their school and so now they had to make an effort to seem cool.

"You don't talk properly..."

"Do too!" She yelled stepping closer.

Shareen had her head bowed in shame and mumbled to the floor about going inside before it gets dark. She couldn't help but feel guilty for not sticking up for Rose, but in her defence, surely it was up to Rose to not make such a big spectacle of herself? She already acted like a boy, maybe this would help make her more girly?

"Why are we even out here anyways?"

Rose picked up her baseball hat which had fallen to the floor, readjusted it on her head and bounced the ball against the ground, keeping in control of it carefully.

"We were gunna play football?" Rose said, standing alone. Shareen stood closer to the other girls.

There was Rachel, the leader and Jennifer, her second in command. She had pretty hair too but buck teeth which Rose felt she had a right to take the mick out of. Followed by her was Marie, dark haired, coloured in pink then there was Smelly Kelly whose mum made perfumes and always smelled strongly of the wee-wee flowers that you could smell when you drove along on the motorway and lastly there was Irianna, who had a really strange name so suggested everyone call her 'Iri'. She used to flick her hair back behind her shoulders like she was all cool and would chew gum in glass because she was unthreatened by authority.

In conclusion they were people who hated Rose and who Rose hated.

"That's boring!"

Frowning, she placed the ball to the ground.

"Okay, why don' we play "mummies and daddies"?"

Jennifer shrieked with laughter as she pointed into her face. Again!

"Oh my God! Did you just say 'mummies'?" Rachel said, squealing with laughter.

She blushed...she hadn't meant to, it just slipped out...Shareen called it 'mummies' too. Still. Had she really said 'mummies'? Oh dear...

"I don't know what's worse!" Rachel giggled circling Rose with a mean glint in her eye. "The fact you call it 'mummies' or the fact you PLAY IT!"

Blushing furiously, she mumbled how it was just a 'joke' which it clearly wasn't.

"Shareen an' me don' jus play that, we play other stuff too."

"So Shareen plays it with you?"

Sensing she'd just got her friend into an awful situation, she sighed.

"No...I lied; Shareen doesn' play it wiv me,"

"So you're a liar as well, now?"

"No! I jus'...err . I didn'...I"

But Shareen was already being tugged away.

"C'mon, Shareen. We don't need to play with _liars_"

The surrounding girls murmured in agreement and began walking with Shareen back to her flat.

"Sorry,Rose." Shareen whispered. "But I don't think you should stay tonight..."

Angry tears began to run down her cheeks and her whole face grew in tempreture.

"Wha'? Why?!..." Rose asked, turning her back away from the other group of girls.

"I jus' think you should go and play with Mickey..."

"Bu' it's yor birthday? I'm mean' t'be stayin'round?"

Shareen grimaced.

"Maybe some other time...I'll still secretly be your friend though."

Rose sniffed away tears. "So, I'm suppos'd to go?"

Shareen said nothing, just nodded her head slightly and joined the back of the girls. For the first time in a while, Rose realised that she really was just an outcast.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Jack shuffled his new coat on his shoulders and sprayed some white non-permanent hair dye through his hair, all the while looking in the mirror and contemplating whether he should use the fake tan or not.

"I'm doing a 'Doctor'..." He grinned as he realised his own pun

"What?!" The Doctor squawked as he left his usual window seat and took a step closer to Jack, judging his awful disguise and feeling embarrassed to have even caused this madness of Jack's attire.

"I'm going down there..."

The Doctor's face fell. "B-but you can't. That's my job" It was his job to look after Rose, not Jack's. It was The Doctor's responsibility, something he had promised to a very important mother.

"Yeah-and like you said; the more regularly you turn up in her moment in needs, the more she's going to recognise you and therefore expect you to turn up. You've got to let her grow at being alone. Because for now, that's the point of Rose Tyler, to be alone."

The Doctor crossed the space in only a short amount of time; his steps large and irregular. His breathing suddenly erratic and for once Jack truly feared the time lord.

"DON'T," He began, spiting the words fiercely from his mouth but he was lowering his voice to a quieter tone. He could feel his whole body temperature rise. His hands were closed, his lungs closed as the oxygen flew around helplessly in his windpipe. His mind was closed, forbidding the memories access.

He felt a little guilty as The Doctor squared up to him, his eyes on the brink of moisture.

"I can't help it. It's just the truth, that's what she is; a lonely little girl who waits hopefully for a prince who will never come." He looked off, knowing that the Doctor could sense a difference in him, but he was too furious to take it into real consideration.

He moved Jack so that he thumped against the wall harshly using only his authority.

"SHE IS _NEVER_ ALONE!" He seethed, his voice mimicking the same tone from when her face was taken from her the day before the Queen's coronation. That was a good memory.

He knew he should stop, he wanted to stop, but he HAD to continue.

"She's one of a kind. She's the only Rose Tyler. Face it Doctor, she has no one! Especially not now..."

He slammed his palm into the plasterboard to the side of Jack's head.

"SHE HAS ME!"

"No she doesn't. She's gone and she's never coming back and you can never be with her again..." He waited a second or two to mutter, "None of us can have her..."

The Doctor stepped back and took a breath through his nose and then he _nodded_.

"Jack," He stepped back and smiled softly to the ground, his voice too caring and too kind so that Jack really felt himself shake in fear. "I fight for her. I will always fight for her, in her honour. She'll never be alone, never. Because she knows that I will always be there for her and vice versa. She promised me forever and I promised her toge-"

He cut off short and grinned at Jack.

"I can still hear her teasing voice the moment I say something clever. I can still feel her adrenaline when I run down the street." He waggled his fingers. "I can still feel her hand in mine"

Jack looked down ashamed but the Doctor continued, smiling.

"And that's means that wherever she is, no matter the distance, she's not alone. Because I'm always going to be there to hold her hand..."

Jack didn't say anything. He'd got it out though. Which was what he needed and so did the Doctor. He'd said hardly anything about her, pretending that Rose was just on holiday rather than 'lost' but Jack needed to hear it. Jack needed to hear the Doctor still had his faith; he still battled on despite his demons.

He needed to know that this new Doctor was still _THE_ Doctor.

The Doctor rolled his shoulders and sniffed, wiping his hands down his face to get rid of all remnants of emotion.

"I should go-" he said quietly, looking behind him to the TARDIS; feeling nothing but a sense of grief for the missing presence which would usually be by his side, chiding him.

"Doctor-I'm sorry-I didn't."

But the Doctor just smiled solemnly and stepped back into the TARDIS. Jack felt guilty, extremely guilty but he knew it was the right thing. It would keep both of them good...for now.

He didn't even get to hear the TARDIS dematerialize. He was already out the door, disguise intact.

* * *

Rose was hiding in the crevice of a small, dark, smelly alcove from one of the pillars of the Powell Estate. She was sobbing into her hands, really crying as her body accumulated to fit the violent shakes.

Jack pretended to be an innocent bystander who just happened to walk past Rose.

"Are you okay?" He asked shakily. He wasn't used to this. Talking to kids. Talking to a younger Rose.

"Leave me alone!" She howled. She'd hidden her face into the crook of her arm which was resting against her drawn up knees. She was hiding

"Why don't you run off home? I'm sure you're mum will be worried about you..."

"She thinks I'm at Shareen's," she mumbled through her tears. He'd sat on the floor closer to her, afraid that someone she knew would jump out of nowhere and point at him, screaming '**stranger danger'**.

"Why aren't you?"

"Don' wanna talk 'bout it,"

She'd lifted her head now so that she could look, or try to look at Jack square in the face. He was wearing sunglasses which covered most of his face and had a beard. She knew she shouldn't be talking to him, but she couldn't help it. She just instantly trusted him. He was nice, bit strange but still nice.

He smiled at her a little.

"Want to hear a secret?" Jack whispered, feeling more and more insecure about how dangerous his actions could be taken...

"No!"

There was a pause while she dropped her legs and wiped her face with the sleeves of her shirt.

"Go on, then..." She sighed, changing her mind.

"I don't really have many friends."

"So?"

Jack chuckled. She was so like herself and then again so different.

"They think I'm weird," she confessed as a few tears streaked her face again."Coz I don' wears make-up and stuff. That and I haven't got pretty hair..."

"I'm sure it could be fixed with a few bottles of peroxide? And a drop of mascara on the eyes and you'll be the height of fashion."

He laughed at his own joke but Rose was nodding, taking it all in. Dammit. He hadn't meant to do that!

"Joking...of course."

" My friends don' like me," She sighed. "They think I'm weird. Mum does, too."

"Aww, Rose. Your mum loves you! You should know that." Rose hadn't even realised that he somehow knew her name without her even telling it to him.

"She loves me. But she just...doesn't understand me, I guess?" She breathed deeply."No one does."

Jack grinned, she was going to be yelling that and screaming that at ridiculous hours in the night in about six years.

"Are you smilin'?!"

"No," He said dropping his smile. "The point is, why should you change for them?"

"So I can get'a boyfriend? Rachel McHudy 'as one. Shareen likes someone as well..."

"I thought boys are 'icky' at your age?"

"They are...but...well, I don' know. They jus' seem impor'ant." She sighed again and shrugged her shoulders.

"You know what I think?"

"A 'hole loadda shit, probably."

"Rose!"

He'd done it again, but she still hadn't noticed.

"Wha'? The others do it..." She said blushing. What should she care? Why should she be afraid of an adult? Why should she be so scared? Easy-she shouldn't.

"Anyway, I think you've just got to keep positive. Because somewhere out there," He couldn't help but point at the sky a little, "there's going to be someone who loves you for being you!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes," He sighed. He hadn't been talking about himself for once. That makes a change. "Saying that, makeup's not a bad thing, though. You might like it, it highlights features, dilutes freckles. You know stuff like that." He'd put his foot in it again. He'd have to amend it again.

"Why don't you go back up there? Prove to them that you're not just going to let them trample all over you. Because if there is one thing boys find sexy, it's confidence!" He grinned as he thought of her cheeky remarks about her cell phone the day he met her.

"'Sexy?'"She questioned, he winced again.

"How old are you?" He said, pulling his face into a grimace. He wasn't very good with kids...

"Eight..."

H mentally kicked himself again.

"Then don't worry about it...Anyway, I should be heading home. Maybe you should, too."

Rose stood up and smiled. She had to wipe the dust and dirt from the back of her shorts and scrubbed at her face by licking her hand.

That was disgusting.

"Nahh, I'm gunna go see Shareen. Might try make it up t'her, ya'know."

Jack nodded as she went running off but came running back only a seconds later.

"Hey Mister?"

He turned and smiled.

"What's up?"

She blushed. "Thanks and all,"

And with that Rose Tyler bounded off towards her block of flats.

"You are worth fighting for," He told there air before beginning the walk home.

He was already scratching the beard, and his hair was a total mess so he'd have to fix that soon. But other than that, it'd been a success. He'd given Rose Tyler hope, maybe not much of it, but some, and also a bit of her own confidence. That felt good.

* * *

He'd didn't think he'd noticed him, so watching Jack walk home, the man took a deep breath, returned to the depths of the Shadows and walked back into his blue Police Box.


	11. 9 Years Old

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* * *

"I can't see anything, mum." Rose sighed, looking into the night sky. It was bursting with a beautiful midnight blue, with a few stars acting as lanterns to light up the space occupied and despite it being situated in what Rose would recall as a dump, it was breath taking.

"Exactly. You see, we can't see him. We'll never see him again but the point is, he's always there. Up there, in the sky, he's always there."

Rose looked at her feet, her voice half chocked by the winters evening. "Mum,"

"He'd always there, Rose. Our Pete. So those girls, those insignificant girls who think you have nothing, they're wrong because you have one of the greatest men looking after you, thinking up clever schemes to make a profit, selling the tonic water to make a profit."

There'd been a spout of bullying recently. Well, if she could call it bullying. She felt calling it bullying was cheating. They just made small remarks how her dad would have left for a better looking woman, or how he left because of Rose being a pain the arse. Shareen tried to help, she tried to stop it and tell them that Rose's dad died. But that only made it worse. They started making more remarks about her dad killing himself so he didn't have the pain of having Rose as a child.

That one hurt, but she did as her mum told her, to just ignore the comments. It didn't stop them from stinging though.

"I know,"

"Come here,"

Rose shuffled closer so that her mum could hold her in her arms.

"He would have loved to have seen you now and he would've been so proud, Rose. So proud. And I am too,"

Rose grimaced; it was a struggle to deal with these type of compliments from her mum.

They retreated back to their seats on the sofa before watching a bit of Tele, turning up the volume to ignore the arguing from upstairs.

* * *

"How _COULD_ you, Jack?! How could you?!"

"It was a year ago, what was I supposed to do?!" Jack yelled back as the Doctor held his hand to his head.

"Only you could somehow be that oblivious to a little girl. She was beautiful just as she is! Absolutely gorgeous, why did you have to go and make her feel all insecure about herself?!"

"Hey, if you remember rightly, your Rose _DID_ wear a lot of make-up and yes, she was also bottle blonde!"

The Doctor groaned frustratingly despite loving the term 'your Rose'.

"THAT'S IN ELEVEN YEARS?! Give her some space to be a kid! I knew I shouldn't have let you say anything,"

"Hey!" Jack repeated, his voice lowering like it did when he shouted. "I tried given her that little glimmer of hope for once. The one that you fail to give her!"

"The moment I give her hope is the moment I ruin her timeline. That's all we're supposed to be, 'STRANGERS'."

"All right, so I made a mistake!" Jack shrugged. "So what, it hasn't changed anything because she's still her and she's still going to take her mother's advice over mine and so she's still going to let them girls walk all over her."

"It's not your job to decide what she does, Jack!"

"And I suppose it's yours then?"

He began to say 'No' but stuttered and shook his head instead.

"I just wish you'd been more...Never mind."

"Go on, say it. 'Gentle' because the Rose nowadays wouldn't accept that. You start patronizing her and she'd go mental!"

He look at Jack, without saying anything, just let him rant out his own rage because really, deep down, he was right.

"You need to save her, I get that, but you don't need to be careful of every damn thing!"

He took another breath before collapsing on the sofa. By the sound of it the girls had gone to bed and so, again, they'd wasted another day.

But then, The Doctor's ear perked up.

"What was that?!"

Jack shrugged, he couldn't hear anything?

The Doctor threw himself to the floor, so that his coat billowed behind him in a gush of wind. His trainers were flat out and he had one eye squinted as he pushed himself closer to the floor. Even his hair, his crazy brown floppy hair was lank against his face.

"What what is it?!"

"SHH!"

There was a few more seconds of silence before the repetition of the word 'no' tumbled helplessly out of the Doctor's mouth.

"Tell me, what's up!"

But he had already thrown himself upwards and out the door.

"For once, I would love to be in charge of the running thing, Y'know. I mean. Why should we run anyway they are only downstairs?" Yet, he rolled his eyes, slammed the door, and again followed in the Doctor's footsteps.

He was leaning against the open door, pretending to be ignorant of the sleeping females as he watched two young boys grab everything they could and try and chuck it in a bag.

"So," He began, startling the boys so that they froze. He hadn't even bothered with a disguise so he would have to be extra careful if the girls happened to wake up. "You are on the fifth floor of a very tall building of flats. The lift is 'out of order' and the first thing you grab is the over sized television. I'm going to be honest, and say by scientific calculation you are thick."

The one in charge watched the Doctor frightfully, his hands shaking and his eyes watering slightly. They hadn't been expecting company.

"Now, you can continue looting this place like a pack of wolves or you can run for your lives,"

The Doctor grinned manically as he pulled out the Sonic.

"D'ya like my screwdriver?" He asked, pushing up the top and squeezing the button so that the electrical appliance in the looters' hands gave him a minimal shock and the T.V by the side of them had sparks growing out of every corner. With that they dropped everything and ran out the door, bumping into Jack so that he thumped the floor with his foot and scared them further.

The Doctor was already heading inside before Jack could stop him, without complaining, he helped put everything in its rightful place. The Doctor was unusually quiet.

He was worried of course. How long had the looters been there before they arrived? Had they hurt Jackie or Rose? Were they safe? Had they taken anything from their rooms?

"Be right back," He whispered but Jack put his hand on the Doctor's arm.

"They're fine. I checked."

The Doctor nodded, and helped Jack move some more of the stuff but Jack smiled a little.

"Still, maybe you should go check, just in case..."

"Yeah, you're right," He said trying to nod professionally.

He was grateful for that, that Jack granted him this one moment, this one desire. It meant he could look over Rose, if only for a few seconds, as the person he was. The healer. The Doctor.

Rose was sleeping peacefully. Well relatively. A few tears streaked her nose as they escaped her closed eyes but other than that, she was fine. Her hair was scattered beautifully around her face, softly lying against her brazen cheeks and her thick eyelashes as she breathed heavily.

The Doctor didn't move immediately this time. He longed to sit on the floor, talk to her softly, read her a story, tell her a story, that was more like their old ritual in the TARDIS. To tell her a story until she was tired enough to trek to bed, or in a few cases, allow herself to be carried by the Doctor back to her bed. Those were rare though. Moments she would never remember and moments he would never forget.

She stirred slightly and moved her hand to her face so that she leaned on it a bit. The duvet had slipped to the middle of her waist and she had light Goosebumps telling him that she was cold. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

Rose was older now, she'd recognise him, she'd freak out and he would have ruined those important memories. Those vital memories.

She shivered slightly as a breeze escaped her old windows and he found himself slowly walking towards her. Jack was hidden by the door, desperately wanting to yank him back and tell him that he couldn't. But again, not for the first time, he was stuck. Watching in awe as her simple presence just lightened up The Doctor's smile.

He grabbed to top of the cover and slowly pulled it up to her shoulders so she stopped shivering and instead snuggled into the warmth. He grabbed a toy bear of the side and tucked into her arms so she leant on that instead.

Lastly, before leaving his lowered himself down to her sleeping frame, brushed the hair away from her forehead and kissed the patch of skin before leaving . Sonicking the front door closed, they walked back up the stairs.

"You're always so in tune to what's happening to her. It's quite sweet to watch..."

"Is this going somewhere?" The Doctor asked sceptically but smiled a little as Jack beamed at him.

"'Why don't I get any of that?'" He quoted himself.

Laughing, the Doctor clapped him on the back squeezed his shoulders. "'Buy me a drink first.'"

* * *

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	12. 10 Years Old

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* * *

"Doesn't this count as stalking?" Jack teased as they hid by the shop door.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. He was hanging on the brick wall, watching the group of girls carefully. Rose had started wearing make-up now. Not much, not her usual lot but still a light amount. She wore more girlish clothes, wore more skirts, tighter clothes rather than her over baggy lot. She was growing, and he wasn't too sure whether to be thrilled or devastated.

Still, she seemed happy and that's all that mattered.

Or she did seem happy, until now.

They were all in a group. Shareen, a little older now, also had longer hair and similar clothes with make-up. Then there were the _other_ girls. The girls who had made the cruel remarks; who still were making cruel remarks.

"What, are you _scared_?!"

"No!" Rose lied, frowning. But she was. She was always looking after her mum, cheering her up and looking after her. What would she do now? If her mum found out she'd be heartbroken and Rose would be in tonnes of trouble.

"Just do it, Rose. It's one thing!" Jennifer whined.

She didn't answer just looked to the floor.

"Alright, so you _ARE_ scared. Just admit it. It doesn't matter, you can just run home. Surely 'mummy' needs a bath by now. Shouldn't you be helping her?" The leader from before, Rachel watched as Rose sighed, unimpressed and shook her head.

"Shut up". Rose always returned home the moment her mum called her, she wouldn't stay out a second longer, always returning home when her mum needed her and this was the fuel for ammunition against her. Saying that she was a 'mummy's girl' and a 'goody two-shoes'. How she'd spend her life looking after her mum.

Mickey was always complaining about these girls, not so much Shareen because she was on a similar page as Rose now but complaining nonetheless of their rude comments. _Mickey_. She hadn't seen him for so long, he didn't really talk to her since she started sucking up to the popular cult, and she missed him. Missed having him as reassurance. Still, he wouldn't be friends with her now if she could see what they were doing.

Jack was leaning on the Doctor. Watching intently and practically clambering all over him to get a better view without being spotted. They weren't disguised again; mainly because they hadn't expected Rose to be out in the rain. But she had a hoodie, she was a kid. She was always out. Unafraid of the weather.

"Do it, then."

"Fine! Make a distraction!" Rose yelled.

Rachel grinned her evil, conniving bitchy smile. Throwing her hood up over her head she walked into the shop followed by her 'people pack'. The Doctor watched suspiciously, his mouth falling as he guessed what was happening.

She breathed slightly and Shareen grimaced.

"When things are better we won't be doing stuff like this. It's just once. Just a test that's all..."she whispered.

"Yeah bu' how many of these 'tests' are there t'go?"

She put her hand and Rose's shoulder and squeezed it. "Good luck."

"Tah"

Pulling her hood up over her head so that she was hidden, she stormed into the shop. Barely two minutes later she was sprinting away from it, passing the Doctor as she ran and elbowing Jack in the process. She didn't even turn around to see who she'd hurt.

"Rose," The Doctor whispered. Then suddenly he was sprinting after her but Jack lunged and tackled him to the floor. She was round the corner and now being followed by the other girl who were giggling and running too.

"You can't. You know you can't..."

"What's she doing?!" The Doctor growled to the floor, inside he broke a little. Rose, stealing? Why? That wasn't like her. That wasn't Rose Tyler!

He growled and tried to throw Jack off of him. He was trapped. Jack had locked his arms behind him with one hand, leant on him with all his body weight and had the collar of his Jacket and coat in his other hand so that he could push it to the ground when he tried to jump up.

The Doctor grunted in pain and tried again however Jack was too fast and slammed him harshly to the ground.

"You can't!" he said bluntly though even he felt bad for the Doctor.

It was only stealing; a small bit of stealing something that he would usually be unbothered by though it was The Doctor's defeated and disappointed expression which hurt. Rose was never like that, of course even Jack knew that, and so for him to watch that happen with his best friend as the cause, had to hurt.

"Gahh, Rose!"

She was gone and he wasn't disguised he shouldn't be calling her. It did no use though. She didn't return.

He breathed heavily for a moment but Jack was untrusting. "Why would she do that?"

"She's not herself right now. You've got to calm down because right now, she's not herself. _You_ make _her better_, remember. And _vice versa_." Slowly, incredibly slowly, he slipped and loosened his grasp allowing the Doctor to stand up and brush the dirt from his front He leant against the wall, breathing more heavily than he would have had he sprinted a four thousand mile marathon.

He'd been restraining himself as much as Jack had been restraining him and that stung. He'd had to stop himself from doing the right thing. He'd had to stop himself from running after her. His pink and yellow human. That really must have hurt.

Not as much as having her run into them completely undisguised, open and bold to the eye without so much as a hair away from their usual style with Rose unrecognising them. Not even turning around to take notice of who she'd bumped into. She just ran. Ran off. Running off. She was running away. Running away without him.

He flexed his hand and pulled it down his face remembering the Olympics when she'd tugged on his neck and threw herself at him, hugging him so close that she was practically breaking under his arms.

He couldn't help but cup his own neck, pretending to rub his head but really remembering the feeling

"You wanna help?" Jack asked, mirroring Rose's accent in his own one. "You know what you can do."

The Doctor sighed as Jack handed him some money.

Talking to the shop keeper was easy. Kind of. He was a lot younger than when they'd trekked down here before, him and Rose, for bits of shopping for her mum when they'd visited. He looked a lot younger and he usually got on so well with Rose. Maybe he'd forgiven her? Right now maybe not, though. His tanned skin was slowly turning red and (without even bothering to realise that he'd essentially messed up this tiny timeline) he gave him the money.

Though even in their first meeting, the man took no notice of him so maybe he'd be fine.

"Sir, if these girls bother you again then...then..." He didn't want to say it but it had to be sure. "Then don't hesitate to contact Jackie Tyler."

If Rose was here now she would have killed him

The shop keeper gasped.

"Jackie Tyler?" Realisation coloured his face and he mirrored the Doctor's disappointment. "That was Rose Tyler?"

The Doctor didn't respond to his question. "Anyway, here's the money to cover the cost of what they've taken. I am positive it won't happen again". He promised and luckily it didn't.

* * *

_**Two days later:**_

"Mr. Yolandis?" Rose asked. Her voice was gentle and dripping with guilt.

Mr. Yolandis wasn't sure whether to smile or not seeing her actions from the other day. She was alone now, though. Her friends were no where to be seen.

"Rose," He nodded not bothering to give her the general polite conversation that they'd usually discussed when she was running errands for her mum.

Rose peered into view, looking around to make sure there were no customers around when she stepped to the counter. Mr. Yolandis had been friendly with her mum for ages, even with her dad when he was alive and Rose had ruined it. She'd destroyed years of friendship between shop keeper and parent.

"I-I jus'"

"Hmm?" He was being blunt. Rose deserved that, of course she did but she just couldn't help but let the tears fall from her gaze no matter how much she tried not to let them.

"I'm s-soo s-sorr-y" She gurgled trying to wipe the tears from her face.

He called for his son in his heavy Middle Eastern accent to take over the shop as he picked Rose up and placed her on a table around the back so they were face to face.

"I d-d-didn't mean it. I'm soo sorry." She howled, covering her face as the tears continued to flow.

"Rose, you're ten years old now. You're getting older every day. You're old enough to know right from wrong.-"

"I know!" Rose interrupted, still crying "I'm so, sorry. I-I don't-"

He handed her a tissue from his pocket and sighed.

"You're a good girl Rose and frankly, I am hurt you did what you did but I thank you for returning to apologize…"

She dived into her pocket and pulled out piles of coppers and a few silver coins. As well as the chocolate bars and cans of drink she'd stolen.

"It's from my piggy bank and I didn't open the packets coz I wanted to giv'em back. Bu' still...I'm so sorry…"

He smiled and patted her on the head.

"Promise me you won't ever do something like that again because you, girly, you're better than that. You look after so many people, you care, you don't need to do this." He sighed and squeezed her shoulder.

"Anyway, take your money, take your paid for food and go and play."

"I don't want the stuff-you can have it back-I'm so sorry."

He put his hand up to stop her babbiling.

"I'm not going to tell your mum, we're just going to forget this whole situation, okay? Now run along"

He grinned as she nodded enthusiastically, tears still falling from her face.

"Never again!" Rose promised as she slid off the table.

"I know. Now go enjoy your day." She smiled and went to leave but he stopped her.

"You're a good girl. Rose. A good _person_. You'll always do the right thing." This was more a statement then a warning or a threat but she nodded and ran from the shop eager to be burned by the guilt.

On the table, she'd left the confectionary that had been stolen, she'd left her stash of coppers and she'd also left a note apologizing and promising to never repeat her actions.

Sometimes being led astray meant that Rose was prone to making some silly decisions but still. It didn't stop her from being Rose Tyler; the defender of the Earth. And its people.


	13. 11 Years Old

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* * *

"We'll never fall out will we?" Shareen asked. They were at school, in the playground. Mickey was in secondary now. That was hard to get to grips with, she didn't see him as much, well she did but it was always out of school when he had some of his other friends around. One of them being a favourite of Rose's but that meant she had less time with Mickey.

"'Course we won't. What made'ya think of that?"

Shareen shrugged and nudged Rose with her arm.

"Jus' making sure. We didn't really fall out on my birthday that time, did we?"

Rose laughed and draped her arm over her shoulder. "The only way we'd ever stop being friends is if you were stupid enough t'abandoned me off the free dinners and start gettin' pack lunches!"

Since neither of their parents worked, well they did but it was small cleaning jobs, ones that they'd have to do while the girls were at school which meant that Rose and Shareen got free dinners. Which Rose hated but didn't tell her mum.

Shareen laughed. "Yeah...They are rank though, ain't they?"

"God, I think I'm 'eaving just thinking about it!"

Rose rolled her eyes just as Shareen pulled her upwards "C'mon, then. Might as well go play on the field or something."

Rose grinned. "Race ya?"

"Already there!"

* * *

Once school had finished and they'd been dismissed, Rose and Shareen ran to the secondary school just opposite from their own school.

"Hurry up!" Rose grinned, dragging Shareen so that they were against the gates.

"Where is he?" She asked, frantically searching the mass of children as they ran out of the entrance, eager to get home. Rose had climbed on the railings now, a tree was around it though so she felt pretty safe as she curled her arm around it and leant forwards; searching.

"There!" She yelled. Waving her arm frantically as Mickey was hidden by the group of kids. Mickey grinned and yelled back.

"Rose? What you doing here?!"

Rose ignored him. "Hurry up, will ya, it's freezing out here and I've got a skirt on!"

She blushed when she realised a whole load of boys were watching her. Ooops.

But then, he emerged, a beautiful blonde boy with rich blue eyes who had been talking to Mickey came into view and he was_ Gorgeous_.

He grinned a full beam. She slipped, catching her balance just in time before she fell into the road and held on tighter to the tree branch. Mickey was there in moments.

"Jeeez, you nearly slipped, then!" Mickey grinned, watching Rose as she stood on the thin grey railing. He was about to offer her his hand but his friend, Tom had already done it.

"Need some help?"

"Thanks," Rose gushed, blurring into a red as he winked at her. She was about to jump down but slipped again just in time for Tom to catch her and help her to the floor.

"Errr, thanks..." She mumbled again, her cheeks incinerating now.

"Whose this?!" Shareen giggled.

Mickey wasn't as impressed anymore. "Aww, just my mate Tom. Tom this is Rose and Shareen."

He pointed to each one as Rose took back her school bag.

"Tom lives on Jordan Street..." Mickey said when Rose couldn't tear her gaze away from him.

"That's nice," Shareen said as they started walking home. Rose took Tom's left side so she could be near him for a few more moments but the pavement was too small for all of them to walk in one line so Mickey had to walk in front with Shareen, which he wasn't all too pleased about.

"Haven't seen you much before..." She said quietly, her eyes on the floor this time to avoid staring.

"Nahh," Tom said grinning widely at Rose and flattering her with his charm. "Just moved from Hull."

"Where?" She breathed not really taking in anything else but how gorgeous he was.

"Hull, it's in...ahh, never mind."

Once returned home, they'd agreed they'd meet up again in about ten minutes so with that, Rose grabbed Shareen's hand and ran to her flat.

"Rose?" He mum asked the moment she bounded through the floor.

"Can't right now mum, busy!"

She looked to Shareen in horror.

"What do I wear?! How should I wear my hair? To you think I have enough time to straighten it? What about make-up?!"

Shareen laughed and chucked her school bag on Rose's bed and began searching through her wardrobe pulling out various clothes which might help a bit. Jackie knocked on the door before entering.

"You girls alright?" She asked sceptically as Rose yanked her clothes off in a hurry.

"Yep, thanks Jackie."

"Fine mum."

Jackie laughed as Rose tried pulling the polo top over her neck but had got it stuck.

Pulling it from her arms, she moved some of the clothes on the bed.

"Have a good day?" she asked as she grabbed her small make-up bag from her drawer and some shoes from under her bed.

"Yeah, meeting up with Mickey."

"Making a lot of effort, aren't ya?!"

"No!"

"Not for Mickey," Shareen giggled as Rose pulled a dress over her head and smoothed it down all the while, tugging on her boots at the same time.

"Shareen!"

"Ooooh, who is it then, Shareen?" Her mum giggled as Rose turned to the highest of blushes.

"His names 'Tom'."

"Shareen!" Rose yelled again, cringing as she brushed her hair through and pulled it out of her way.

"Go on then, what's he like..."

"Gorgeous!" Rose whined as she let her head hit the dressing table. "I'm not going; I'm going to look a mess!"

"Rose, we're only going to watch them play football or something...You'll look fine!"

Jackie smiled and pulled Rose towards her, gently helping apply a little make-up to her face and changing her hairstyle to a softer, sweeter look of having it half out of her way and half against her shoulders.

"Right, you look lovely. Be back for dinner, though!"

"Yeah, I will!" She said jumping up and grabbing a dressed Shareen, she was borrowing something of Rose's so she didn't have to go in her uniform.

"Rose..." Jackie called, seconds before she was about to throw herself out the door.

"What?!" She yelled running back into her room to where her mum still sat on her bed.

She pointed to her cheek so that Rose leant across and kissed it.

"By dinner, no later!"

Rose showed her the watch on her wrist and then ran out the door.

* * *

Jack was hanging out the window, grumbling incoherently by the time the Doctor arrived.

He closed the TARDIS door, and stood next to him, squinting out the window as below them, Rose and Shareen watched two boys playing football, without their T-shirts on.

"Do they know how cold it is out there?!" The Doctor laughed but frowned a little as he slowly began to recognise Mickey.

"You're focusing on the heat?! Look at them, all half naked and wimpy. Tell them to take the shirt off when they grow some muscles!" Jack seethed, gesturing outside the window and to the floor, deliberately shifting his muscles as he did so.

"Jack, they're kids, they're showing off. Let them try."

Jack stared at him blankly for a second or too then mimicked him still keeping his gaze outside.

"So, what's happening?"He asked, changing the subject as Jacked stared in disgust to the kids. Wow and he thought he was bad.

"You're a little early. She hasn't even started secondary, yet."

The Doctor nodded. "Ahh well, I'll probably come back for that. Strange, the old girl landed here though, I was sure we would be in time for her first day,"

"She hasn't even finished Year Six yet; she'll be finished in about a month or two."

"Really?!" His voice rose a tiny bit. "Wow, we are early!" He pointed to the box in the living room.

"You lied to me; you said she would've started by now!"

"What? No, I've just-oh you're talking to your machine..." Jack muttered. "Would've thought you'd guessed by the weather."

"British weather is all the same." The Doctor shrugged then shivered at Jack threw him a confused look. "God, I sound so...'British'."

"Well, like I said, still too early..."

"How have they been?" He asked again, this time hoping that it sounded like he was including Jackie, too. Though, really, he didn't care for that information.

"She's good" He was just talking about Rose thankfully. "She's no longer friends with that group..."

"Good," he grinned

"Annd," Jack continued, "Two days after you left last time, she returned the stuff she stole. And gave him some money for it."

"Really?" His grin widened now, smiling so broadly that it almost hurt. "That's good. That's more than good, that's brilliant! Good for her!"

"Yeah, thought you'd like that."Jack answered slowly cutting the skin of his apple with a pen knife. He seemed to be doing it more out of boredom then actual interest of eating the apple.

"Is it me," Jack said pointing, "Or has Rose made a little bit more effort in her attire?"

"Rose always makes an effo-What the!" She had, she'd made a real effort, she was wearing a pretty dress and tights and had her hair beautifully styled. He raised a disapproving eyebrow at Jack, she was wearing make-up, too! A lot more than she did earlier. Well 'last year'.

"Wow, she's trying to impress someone..." Even from their height, he was sure he could see her eyes flutter to the blonde boy. The Doctor had already started hogging the window. He had a habit of turning grumpy about things like this...Same old Doctor then.

"She's eleven; you can stop with the daggers. It's not like anything's going to happen."

"Don't know what you're talking about," He grumbled, eyes never moving from where the group stood.

"Nothing happened between her and me," Jack countered, diminishing his own ego for the sake of a smile of the Doctor. The things he did for this man!

The Doctor did smile. "You're right. Or Adam. Nothing happened with Adam either!" He said, grinning, blissfully unaware that he'd kind of confessed he was getting jealous of an eleven year old.

"Adam?"

"Never mind."

It was getting dark now and the boys were getting cold meaning they had to put they're shirts on. Jack was half smiling as Rose flirted with the blonde kid. The Doctor was too busy glaring at Mickey, expecting him to make a move and daring him not to. In that respect he was being a bit of an idiot. Though even Jack was soon going to regret standing so near to the Doctor for hearing the worst sound in the universe.

Shareen had hinted to a grumpy Mickey that they should go home as Tom offered to walk Rose up the steps. She decline softly but led him the entrance instead. She was avoiding her mum, it seemed.

Beside him, The Doctor's breathing had slowed, turned dangerous, as half of it got lost somewhere in his oesophagus. He was leaning as far out of the window as he could without actually leaving the building, he was trying to get closer to Rose closer to 'Tom'.

Jack pulled him back a bit but he was still bent at his waist, his above outward in the cold evening air as he watched the pair.

Tom carefully lifted a strand of hair away from her face, his face coming closer to her own and a blush shading her cheeks. He kissed her. He kissed Rose Tyler. She was leaning into him a bit, knowing this was the weirdest thing she'd ever done and questioning whether or not she should be opening her mouth or not. It was all a bit confusing. Not that she wasn't enjoying it. She loved it.

He was still beside Jack. So very still that it scared him. Was he breathing? Was he okay? Was he dying?

Suddenly, the apple in Jack's hand was being thrown across narrowly missing the boy's head so that he stopped snaking his hands around Rose and instead looked around in fear.

Jack threw the both of them to the floor so that they were out of view. It only lasted a second or two because the Doctor was already up and leaning out the window the apple juice fermenting his hand. He leaned out the window then jumped out the way before Jack had enough time to register what The Doctor had done. He slowly stood up and saw out the corner of his eyes that the pair were giggling and then continued.

"I've got to go." He said, walking into the TARDIS without even a second glance at Jack. He just went. Gone within a second and Jack swore, he was absolutely certain that he'd heard the Time Lord's own hearts break.


	14. 12 Years Old

**Hi all, sorry to say this might be the last one for a few days but I should be back and updating soon-ish! Hope you enjoy this one as I have to say, it was one of my favourite ideas. Thank you for the reviews and the follows and favourites of course.**

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**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

"You look different..." Jack had been waiting for this. He never knew when The Doctor was going to return, he'd always picked some stupid random date leaving Jack to wait, wait eagerly for his return. Still, in the mean time, he'd got to know the gossip.

Mickey had some trouble with his father apparently; Rose and Tom didn't last very long. Neither did Rose and Jay or Rose and Sam. Still, she was growing up fast. Shareen had a little boyfriend. Little? He was the same age as them and got on really well with Mickey. Didn't really like Rose much, but those just made things entertaining to watch.

Christmas had come and gone. Rose now had cousins. Her mum was still single. Rose had started secondary. Rose hated school, got into arguments with her mum about staying out for later in the evenings, several times, things went back to normal. She woke up, went to school came home and ate chips. That was her life.

While Jack watched.

The Doctor shrugged and sniffed. He seemed a little bit better than when he'd left but only just.

"You alright?"

"Fine." He answered, bluntly.

"You kinda left in a hurry."

He shrugged. "Yeah, well. Things to do."

"Like I said. You look different..."

"Do I?" He wasn't interested.

"Okay, let's cut the crap. How long has it been? Since you came? Because it used to be for you like a hoping trip as if seconds were going past instead of years while I took the slow path and now..."

His eyes widened a little at the familiarity of the phrase but returned back to the original glass emptiness which right now, reflected his eyes.

"What's your point, Jack?"

"How long has it been, for _you_, since you saw Rose?"

"A few months..." One month. Less than that. Maybe three weeks? After that, he'd caved in and came flying speedily back, knowing he just _had_ to finish what he started.

Silence poisoned the air of the flat.

"What took you so long?" Jack finally said after what seemed like too long.

"Why are you so bothered?"

"You missed it. You missed her first day of secondary! Again!"

He blinked at a little longer than necessary.

"Did I?" He stated his voice monotonous. No emotion in it at all.

"Yes! You said you were going to be there!"

"I thought you said I had to stop calling up in 'her times of need?'"

"Yeah but I didn't say anything about your 'times of need'" Jack was chewing his tongue now. They were so used to arguing, especially now, though it was only making him angry, and he was already, so very angry.

"What are you on about?"

"Did staying away from her help?"

"Jack-this is-"

"No!" Jack interrupted. "Did it help?"

"No..." He murmured. He'd shoved his hands in his pinstriped trouser pockets, all the while glaring at his converse.

"So why did you do it?"he replied. Jack hadn't expected him to lose his temper again. He was always doing that too, pissing him off some way or another.

"Because it still hurts!" He yelled, taking a step back to fall against the window.

"She was eleven! It wasn't her fault."

"She's still Rose Tyler!"

Jack pointed. "So that's it. You're jealous."

He eyed the pulse in the Doctor's jarred jaw. He'd have to be careful so as not to blow a blood vessel.

"If you're going to keep playing games I'm just going to leave."

"Ooooh. I'm sooo scared." He sung, prancing around the flat in an imitation of some sort of camp platypus.

The Doctor angrily rolled his eyes and stalked out the door. Apparently walking back to the TARDIS.

Jack followed.

"So is that what you do, eh? You run away? You run away from her, you run away from me. Face it, you even run away from yourself! From your own _damn _feelings."

He ignored him, storming back to his ship in a fury. They were out in the open, now, his brown overcoat flowing behind him making him out to be some sort of hero_. Shit hero_; Thought Jack.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, storming through the hidden pillars to where he'd hid the TARDIS. Rose and her friends were across the concrete. They were yelling to someone across the road that was encouraging them to cross over to the park. The Doctor tried to avoid this.

"Come on. Say something!"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to confess that you're jealous!"

The Doctor was frowning behind his shoulder. The girls plus Mickey were trying to cross the road but cars were zooming past at a ridiculous speed despite it being a Zebra crossing. Rose was hidden behind a parked car.

She'd grown. She'd grown so much. Her hair was longer, she wore more make-up, she was taller, her eyes were bigger, her lips fuller. He missed it again. He'd waited too long. If he hadn't have been such a cowardice Pratt then he'd have seen her some other time. Sometime sooner and she would still have that pure innocence of her face. That was fading it now.

He'd missed her first day of Secondary School.

"Doctor?!"

The Doctor was still watching the cars go by, the colour falling from his face as he watched on in fear.

"Are you even listening?"

He paused trying to calculate The Doctor's facial expectation.

"_Doctor_?!"

There was no reply. Like usual. The Doctor's eyes watching frantically, moving in such a speed that even Jack was worrying. The Doctor was whispering to himself, begging them not to do it, begging them, not to.

Then suddenly he was sprinting. All sense's alert like a paranoid Meerkat, he sprinted at his top speed grabbed Rose from around the waist and threw her back into the safety of the pavement.

The car, the silver Mondeo which Rose hadn't seen, halted to a stop. But it was too late.

Rose sat up softly, holding her head as a commotion began to take place at the spot she should have been.

She'd been saved. Someone had just saved her life.

She stepped up slowly, walking towards the bustle of people in a daze, eager to try and repay the hero in some way or another. There were adults around though and they were leading her away as more people began to flow around. They were telling her to give the man some space, to go away. They'd only seen him be hit by the car: they hadn't seen him save her life. She was the only one to have noticed.

A feeling of fear began to wash over her, she wanted to help, wanted to repay the person but she was so afraid and she didn't even know what off. So carefully, she began retreating before sprinting back inside.

* * *

"Is she..."

Jack had hold of him by the lapels. "Don't try to speak. You're fine, just hold on. Just a few moments longer and we can-"

But the Doctor was groaning, trying to avoid the pain but at the same time trying to stay him.

"Jack I-I can't stay much-"

"Don't you dare!" Jack yelled, slamming his fist against his chest. Only one heart was beating and it was slowing down. He didn't know what to do. More and more people were crowding around so The Doctor couldn't reveal himself by regenerating but he had no means of escape. He'd just have to play the distraught boyfriend or something. Do anything to get away from the crowd.

"STEP AWAY!" He screamed as people moved closer, offering their support. "No! Don't touch him!" But he was groaning, uttering some of his last sentences.

"Jack, is she...Ugh! Is R-r-Ro-URGH!" His upper body was pushing forwards as he tried so desperately to hold on. If he held on too long he wouldn't regenerate, if he didn't hold on long enough, he'd regenerate in front of all these people.

It was a massive dilemma.

Jack had grabbed him then, grabbed him from underneath as he heaved him with all his strength into his arms, screaming as the pain tried to break his knees. The Doctor was slipping away, and with that, with the lanky Doctor in his arms he ran, ran as fast as he could before hiding in the alleyway where the TARDIS had been.

He'd had to breathe through his nose to stop from buckling with the weight and all, especially as the amount of clothes and pure rubbish he had in his coat and jacket pockets.

Floods of people ran off in different directions, calling for him to come back.

"Rose," He breathed, convulsing slightly in Jack's arms so that beads of sweat and tears fell from his face.

"She's waiting for you, she want's to talk to you," Jack lied.

His breathing became more distant but his sweaty expression lightened.

"S-she.C-Can't-ARGH! Jeeez,"

Jack pushed the already open TARDIS doors with his foot and ran through the wardrobe. The ship had already placed the medical bay in front of him so that he could drop him on the table as he writhed and stretched.

"Jack, I don't want to re-ARGH!" He clutched at his chest, tearing his jacket and shirt open as he groaned in pain.

"What do I do? What can I do to help?!" He was throwing his hands back in exasperation when his hand hit the corner of a sort of monitor thing; no, a Defibrillator.

"What do I charge it to?!"

"Whaa?! Oh! Jack, I can't-" His eyes were beginning to roll into the back of his head as he held off the regeneration cycle.

Guessing, Jack grabbed the orange sheet pad things, placed them on the Doctor's skin and charged the two handles, holding them up to the Doctor in fright. He'd just stabbed himself with a gush of green gel and was injecting it through to his skin as he screamed in pain.

"Charging," Jack cried as his voice rose to meet the voltage frequency of the defibrillator.

The Doctor was going, his arms were slowly sinking to his sides and his breathing had finished.

"CLEAR!" He yelled for no reason and then pushed them to meet the pads of rubber. The second they touched him, his lower back arched and he collapsed back to the table. Lank and lifeless.

The TARDIS then pulled a picture up onto a monitor of his heart beats, one diagram below the other, beginning to return to normal.

Grinning, he jumped up and cheered himself. "I did it, we did. Wooo!" There was a party going on in his mind, literally, as the TARDIS brought up sarcastic images telepathically of a student's house party.

Jack looked over as The Doctor began to breathe properly. The sweat sliding down his forehead as he sighed from exhaustion.

"Jack?" He said after a while, his voice weak and broken.

"Try not to say anything. You're still only just alive."

"Jack," He whispered again, this time with a little more enthusiasm.

"What?!" He asked, pretending to be irritated by the fact he wasn't being listened too but really he was relieved to hear it.

"I saved Rose Tyler..." And with that, he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion take over as he rested.


	15. 13 Years Old

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* * *

"You, Sir, are a complete and utter fool!"

The Doctor grinned and stroked the panels of the TARDIS. He was fine now, his heart rate; normal, his temperature; normal, his manic excitement; normal. He was back to being the usual chaotic stranger with the cheeky smile, dark eyes, frightening fury and of course, the great hair!

Jack thumbed the right side of his red suspenders so it slapped against his skin, audibly. "You just...you just...just.."

"Ran?" The Doctor offered.

"Yeah-ran. Almost as if it was a built in mechanism. Every fibre of your body becoming an impulse, no, a demand!" His accent becoming as recognisable as ever just by emphasising the Doctor's speed; using his hands. "It was just like...whoosh...!"

He nodded. Smiling simply and fusing the coordinates to a year later.

"A-and Rose. She was just...gobsmacked. I mean really, I should hate your guts for all you did, all you risked but...BAM!"

The adrenaline rushed out of his speech once he looked to a smug designated driver. His eyes were alight with pride and his smile, although hurt and still broken, was slowly becoming softer, happier. Jack spoke with every amount of sincerity left in his bones.

"You saved her."

"Yeah, well," The Doctor began offhandedly, jumping about the ship like a loon and gesturing for the open doors. "Anyway. _Allons-y_!"

He parked the TARDIS on the rooftop of the block of flats then proceeded to cautiously walk down the flights of stairs into the open afternoon but behind a few dirty and alcohol stained pillars once eyeing a familiar pair.

His heart sank a little when he spotted Rose and Shareen, both in tears, screaming at one another.

"I don't feel threatened by you," Rose snapped, her eyes smudged with runny mascara as she turned away from the ferocious snarl of her only best friend.

"Well maybe you should! Because you, you're supposed to be my friend! You knew I liked him and then what, you suddenly decide you want him?!" She tugged on Rose's arm. "Oi!"

"You just don't like it because he likes me! For once, the guys aren't falling at your feet, they are liking me and you hate that!"

"That's not true!"

"Oh no?! Is there another reason to pelt me across the face in the middle o'the school. You're right. We are supposed to be friends but you're the one changin' tha'! Not me!"

Jack, feeling slightly worried, pushed himself and the Doctor further into the shadows but couldn't help but feel his eyes watch with genuine concern.

"Because _you _kissed'im!"

"HE kissed _me_!"Rose corrected, jabbing her finger at Shareen. Shareen, who was much older than when he first took any notice of her, now had short braided hair with a lot of make-up and a ferocious scowl. She shook nervously as she continued to scream at Rose, despite the tears, and even though she was hurt, she hated that they'd got into this situation. That was clear.

"You're a sick, conniving, bitch!"

Chocking on her owns tears, Rose glared back. "Well I'm not gunna stand here an' be called a liar by someone who is _meant_ to be my 'best friend'!" She began storming off but stopped as Shareen yelled several more sharp and painful comments across the space between them.

Jack was keeping a careful eye on the Doctor, who had closed his eyes and curled his fists, trying to concentrate, apparently, on not jumping out and defended his pink and yellow human.

"You're lonely. So completely lonely that you cling to the person who shows you any attention! You string'em along so you know you don't have to be alone because that's who you are!"

Shareen continued, pausing for little, if any, breath.

"You're lonely. So completely lonely that you cling to the person who shows you any attention! You string'em along so you know you don't have to be alone because that's who you are, you are selfish, you are alone and you are completely ungrateful to any man you ever meet!"

She took a deep breath as Rose, stunned by the spite of the words, watched in horror as they stung and poisoned her soul, allowing herself to only breathe, and not with ease, and cry uncontrollably.

"That's not true!" She whispered but she couldn't help think off her mum. Stuck in a flat, completely alone with no one else except Rose. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to love her. She didn't want-no. She _couldn't_ become like that. Whatever the cost, no matter how much she loved her, Rose would never become like her mum. Damaged, alone and completely naive in the trait of 'to love'. No, she would never be her mum.

The Doctor hadn't moved except to open his eyes which required little moving. He seemed to be in control of his limbs as he watched, sadly, as Rose poured her heart and soul into her tears.

"I-I love him, Rose. I love him and he loves you and you're in love with a fairy tale. A knight in shining armour to protect you, the mysterious stranger to suddenly whisk you away and charm you, the comedian to cheer you up, the counsellor to console you, the Doctor to heal you. You're in love with the idea of being in love...so-" Shareen was also crying, she'd taken tentative steps towards Rose who could do nothing but sob into her hands while Shareen tried to comfort her despite being a complete wreck herself. "So, just, let me...Let me love me?" She finished, crying as she cuddled Rose and received a tight hug back.

"I-I'm so sorry Shareen,I-I-I didn't" She hiccupped as more tears rolled down her face. Her throat was sore from crying and dry from screaming but there was nothing she wanted more in that moment then to hugged.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it-What I said. I didn'-"

"Me either!"

The girls continued to hug for a bit until they'd both calmed down enough for Rose to offer her chips with a few quid in her pocket. The Doctor, smiling as relief swam over him, breathed heavily before sighing loudly. Jack just looked at him with that same, scared expression.

"..She said...She said..."

"I-I know what she said, Jack." He gulped but sniffed, trying to find his feet.

"But she, she just spoke out her entire-"

"I know," He said simply.

"She prescribed Rose a doctor..."

His cheeky pink lips parted to show Jack a set of gleaming teeth. Smiling, he gently clenched and unclenched his hand, remembering the texture, the weight, the temperature when it was being clutched beneath Rose's hand.

The Doctor finalised with a gleeful expression, chuckling to himself as he thought of the truth in her and now his words. "I. Know!"


	16. 14 Years Old

**Hope you all enjoy! :D You're all brilliant!**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

The Doctor was trembling beside him slightly.

"What?" Jack asked, placing a hand out to pull himself towards the window. Rose had made a friend, a new friend with shaggy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He was older than Rose probably years older and had his right ear ridiculously pierced with a number of stupid earrings and just to top it off, he had massive hands.

"Oh, not this again! C'mon. It's not fair to her! Of course she's going to meet guys but that's then and this is, uh, well then but you get the picture."

The Doctor was still glaring at the 'friend'.

"Seriously? You are going to go into a strop again because of th-" Jack was cut off.

"I know him..."

There was a brief silence as Jack took in the words.

"What do you mean you know him...?" Jack scoffed.

Rose and her friend were very obviously flirting and every once in a while she'd flutter her eyelashes. Which although comical to watch, was also a bit cringe worthy.

"Well, I don't know him, but I do, I mean...I can't explain it..."

"Please, do try."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled Jack so he was standing in front of him and then he pointed north east to a giggling pair hidden behind a pillar.

Jack didn't know what to say.

"The TARDIS knows this spot...we came here before when, well, yeah." He looked to the floor and then back at his past self. Rose, his Rose, was giggiling as she clung onto his arm pointing at younger Rose. The younger Doctor had his eyebrows pulled down as he watched in curiosity, still smiling.

It was much easier then, to see that she'd been with other people because at the end of the day, she was still there. She was still with him; clinging onto his arm as she pulls him into hiding. Still laughing so her face creased up and her hair fell across her face.

She looked beautiful. So beautiful, in her torn and worn out jeans, with a printed shirt with sparkles on the front and her purple jacket. Her trainers all scuffed around the edges. Her hair clipped up behind her with that mask of make-up clouding her face. She was still laughing, hiding her embarrassed, flushed face against his shoulder as he, too, laughed but tried to get closer to the other Rose.

"Doctor-! We can't be here. Move!"

But he stayed where he was, switching his gazes to watch fourteen year old Rose for a second or two and then back to his Rose where he struggled to take his gaze off her. His tear duct system was threatening to just let one tear slide meaning he had to frown to stop it.

Jack was tugging on his arm.

"C'mon! We've got to move!"

He smiled a little when his other self turned and said something funny so that she buried her face into his coat shoulder, staining it with her mirthful tears.

"We don't...well, _I_ don't."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What?!"

"In a few moments," He grinned as he spoke, pride emitting his voice as he realised what he'd been doing here so many years ago. "He's going to look over and see me, he'd going to nod, I'm going to nod and then he's going to see your shadow and assume it's Rose-Don't interrupt, _please_!- and I'm just going to smile and carry on watching the younger Rose..."

"So, I stand here?" Jack asked, completely confused at the fact that he'd returned back to the spot in which he'd already seen. It was then that Jack finally realised. The Doctor wasn't trembling because he was angry or frightened or angered. He was trembling because he was excited. He was going to see Rose again, as she was and it was going to give him the spark he needed.

"Bit closer to the window; the net will shade you," The Doctor said, still watching the second couple rather than the first. They were holding hands, gripping it as they continued to laugh causing Doctor's own hand to throb. He didn't have Rose now...

Jack was watching as the Doctor nodded, smiled sadly then looked back over to miniature Rose. She was still trying to flirt to this older guy, fluttering her eyes as he leaned down, ready to kiss her. But as he did, his lips hovering over her own as he closed his eyes, a dark smile playing on his face, Rose sneezed; head butting him as she did so.

The other Doctor had taken one look, grabbed Rose and raced so they were completely out of view when they began to laugh uncontrollably all the while imitating, the strength of the accidental head butt.

Jack was also laughing, not as happily and as cheerfully as the other Doctor, but still chuckling as he commented on the headache he was about to have.

The Doctor only smiled, still watching as the younger Rose began apologizing profusely trying to console _Jimmy Stone_ as he turned away from her, holding his head in agony. The situation only got worse when Jackie stood outside the front, glaring at the friend and ushering an embarrassed Rose back inside. Leaving Jimmy Stone looking like a pratt.

Good, he deserved that much at least.

"What was all that?!"

"What?"The Doctor responded. Shrugging his shoulders, smiling a little.

"That! That whole scene!"

"Don't know what you're on about," He muttered, leaning off the window seal and turning to the TARDIS. He still hand his hand poised as if holding someone's hand.

He raised an eyebrow. Yeah, sure, of course!

"Are you alright?" Jack finally asked, sensing that despite his cheery smile and his sparkling eyes, he was struggling not to cry.

"M'always alright," He lied. Looking into the corner of the room, he tapped the TARDIS. "Better be off though...things to do,"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know...Go on,"

He went to leave, seconds away from shutting the door when something stopped him.

"Oh, Jack...I should warn you..."

"What?" He asked, noticing the Doctor's discomfort as he grimaced.

"These next few years aren't going to be pretty..."

Jack was about to ask why, the word had already started to be spoken but The Doctor was gone. The TARDIS was disappearing, the engines were whirring, the light; blurring. The Doctor was gone...


	17. 15 Years Old

**Just found out who the new Doctor is! Exciting, feeling apprehensive! Fires of Pompeii! :D **

**Sorry if there's any mistakes, been a hetic day :P might be a pause in uploads, away for the week.**

**Thanks and please keep r&r . You're all brilliant.**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

Rose was sat against a wall, ignoring the cold and the dark of the night as she sat next to Jimmy. Jimmy had grown. In height of course not in maturity, he dragged a cigarette from his lips and blew the smoke into the air above him. She didn't say anything just watched as the smoke clouded the air making her eyes water.

"S'not that cool."

"I know. But mum would kill me," Rose sighed, leaning on him a bit but he shifted and place his hand at the bottom of her back. She shivered.

"Why are you so afraid of her?!" He said suddenly, spitting on the floor in disgust as he continued to rant. "Can't do that 'mum'll kill me' can't do this 'mum would kill me' for Christ sake! Grow a pair, Rose!"

She didn't say anything just gulped.

"Still, s'not a great idea..." She muttered.

"I left school and look at me, I'm doing fine!" He argued.

She thought about scoffing but thought better of it.

"Anyway, you've got a job. What do you need school for? S'not like you're ever gunna meet Dickens or Shakespeare whatever his name is!"

Rose was surprised he even remembered the name of such literary genius's. Not that she knew them very well either. But still.

"Just a safety barrier I guess."

He cursed at her. "Why are you untrusting?! You've got a job but you won't need it because as soon as I get the money, we'll find our own place."

His hand started travelling downwards so she shifted to avoid it. He didn't seem best pleased about this but didn't say anything.

She hummed in response.

"Just leave it, for me, leave school."

Rose looked up to see a pair of dark blue eyes thrust upon her, he kissed her quickly and repeated himself so that she really was trapped. They were sat under a street light in the dark cold night as he blew smoke out of his lungs into the air with that tight grip around her waist.

"Okay,"

He smiled and kissed her again. "Good girl."

* * *

Jack made a face as the sudden sound of the TARDIS appearing. This wasn't going to be good. This was going to be very far from good. This was going to be bad, chucked in a blender, fried and seasoned until all the good had burnt out of it.

Shit...

The Doctor smiled as he shut the Blue TARDIS door.

"Hi..." Jack said simply.

The Doctor's smile lightened up his face as he went in for a high five. "Snap back, Jack?" He teased, wiggling his fingers with his hand still raised in the air. Jack threw himself against the window, hiding the two from his gaze all the while eying the Doctor with a scared look.

"No? Okay then. How are you doing anyway?" He automatically began rifling through the flat, searching through the letters and walking around the kitchen. He returned a second later a banana in one hand and a pot of marmalade in the other.

"The thing is, Rose always told me off for this, but marmalade. It's so _good._ No wonder why Paddington Bear loved the stuff. It's gorgeous!"

He dipped the banana in the jar and then took a massive chunk out of it using his teeth, still smiling and still enjoying Jack's presence.

"No matter how many jars you buy," The Doctor lifted the jar as if to inspect it. "You can never have enough!"

Jack said nothing. Just continued to pretend that hanging out a window this high up was incredibly normal. Well, for him it probably could be.

"Anyway, when are we?" He frowned as he looked out the flat. "Wow, it's late. Don't normally do that? That's new; landing at night." He continued to ramble. "Unless you're with a Mr. Dickens. Good ol' Charlie-boy!"

He tore another chunk of marmaladed banana away using his teeth and chewed happily.

Jack just stared.

"Wha'?"

He blinked a few times, still unable to bring any words or excuses to his lips.

"What? What is it?" The Doctor was smiling again, pushing Jack aide and he bounded to the view of the open window. He spat the banana out and began choking on his own tongue.

Jack grimaced and flexed his shoulders, preparing himself for The Doctor's disgust.

He wiped his mouth as if he'd just swallowed cyanide and took a deep threatening breath before letting rip.

"WHAT HAS SHE DONE?!"

"N-now...C-calm down...I'm sure it can be f-fi.."

"HER HAIR!" He shouted, scaring Jack into a corner so that he tried to use his hands to create some distance.

Even from here he could smell the banana on his breath. Now he felt sick. He hated the fact he had to buy bananas every week just in case that was the week The Doctor would turn up. Stupid banana breath boy!

" S'not that bad," Jack lied, suddenly feeling brave.

His face dropped.

"'BAD?!' JACK, IT'S AWFUL! IT'S ABSOLUTELY WRONG!"

"It could be worse..."

"NO IT COULDN'T!" He yelled. He pretended to heave and hold his head over the balcony, ready to be sick. At least Jack hoped that the Doctor was pretending.

He caught a look at her and threw his hand over his face, closing his eyes vice shut as he did.

"What is it?!"

Jack sighed. "It's like a fire plum with a forest green fringe."

He blew out his cheeks and shivered. "WHY, JACK, WHY?!"

Jack shrugged awkwardly. "If it helps, her mum hates it, too. And I'm pretty sure so does she..."

"WHY?!" He continued to yell, dragging his hands down his face as he continued to pull out his own hair.

"Jimmy Stone." He sighed.

Jack didn't speak Galifrayan but he recognised "Jimmy _something_ Stone" and guessed he was swearing (actually swearing!) in his own language.

* * *

Rose was starting to shiver against the cold. Her hair was short now. A purple like red and a green fringe which made her look extremely stupid. She regretted having it done, she regretted saying 'sure' the minute her boyfriend suggested it.

But she loved that phrase; "Boyfriend". Her boyfriend. She met someone who actually loved her and she loved him. He was gorgeous and wanted to see her and show her off to all his mates. He was affectionate and loved to touch her (even in places where she wasn't sure _should_ be touched) but she loved him and needed to prove that she trusted him, like he said.

She hated her hair though and her skin was becoming red, blotchy and spotted from the amount of make-up he insisted she wore. But that was normal, he wanted her to look her best and she wanted to make him happy. Whatever the cost.

School didn't matter.

Her hair didn't matter.

Neither did her mum's worries.

She had Jimmy, who loved her and that's what she needed. She didn't even need Shareen anymore. They were always fighting anyway. She was jealous of Rose's relationship and insisted that he 'wasn't good enough for her'. But those were lies. They had to be lies. Didn't they?

"Why don't we go back to mine," He said after a while. Rose continued to shiver violently, her lips slowly turning blue. She shouldn't have worn shorts but he liked them and if he liked them, she wore them.

She shrugged. " Mum'll go..." She paused as he watched her, daring her to say continue.

"I've got school tomorrow," She corrected, guessing this might be a better excuse. She was wrong.

He tore his arm back from around her back so that she slipped to her side. Her butt had gone numb meaning she really had no chance of standing with her lack of balance.

Jimmy glared and raised an eyebrow.

"You really don't _fucking_ listen do you?!"

She jumped. He was always swearing, all the time, she'd even started doing it to but he used them to their full power, spitting them out like it was acid on his tongue. It still made her jump.

"We've just been talking for the last hour or so and you just don't-"

"I've never stayed round yours before!" She burst out finally, biting her lip and trying to ignore the yelling from the men in the window above her own flat. They were always arguing that and she didn't really see one of them much. Well she didn't see either of them. Maybe the first man (the one that was normally there) was a bit on the side for the other one. Maybe the mysterious one had a wife a child at home and he was a closet gay.

She thought about how much Jimmy was laugh if she told him this, how much he would cackle and continue the joke and then wind them up if they ever saw them. Maybe it's was best if she didn't mention it.

She didn't want to get on the wrong side of the neighbours. Not that she ever saw those neighbours. She only ever heard them.

That wasn't the point though.

"So?!" He spat.

"S'just. What if your mums there?"

"She won't be. She's at work... just trust me, Rose."

She sighed. "I should tell my mum then..."

"Don't worry about it; she'll only have a go at you"

It was true, but it still hurt. Her mum would go crazy. She'd stop her and forbid her to go and that would cause more arguments. Arguments she couldn't be bothered to make.

"Okay," She mumbled again, looking at her knees as Jimmy kissed her again leaving a taste of cigarettes on her tongue.

HE pulled her up, his hands playing around her hips as she flushed pink and tried turning away. He was wiggling the stub of his cigarette in his mouth as Rose laughed nervously.

"I haven't got any clothes," She sighed, noticing how the whole place had grown silent.

"Won't need clothes..."

He winked when he saw Rose's shock and cheekily slapped her backside .She squealed and jumped in his side so that he laughed and drew the drug from his mouth and offered it to her.

"No tah,"

"Just taste it, Rose."

She wrinkled her nose before shaking her head. The smell was already making her feel sick that and she was already not returning home as well as skiving school, did she really need to kill her mother by smoking?

But he was pushing it towards her, daring her, begging with those beautiful blue eyes; sweet, loving, caring.

She started to shake her head again but he groaned at her.

"Just have one, will ya?! Stop being so pathetic." He growled, shoving it so that the tip nearly burnt her nose. She took it, with shaking hands and sucked in a breath, walking along with him and he clutched her side with his thick hand. Wishing and begging that for some reason, somehow, she'd be saved.

* * *

Jack was suffering. He was, again, restraining the Doctor as he tried to leave the flat, demanding to be freed but he couldn't. Jack had his whole strength bearing him down to the floor as he roared in anger.

"We need to do something!" He screamed, twisting and writhing under Jack's body weight.

"You can't. I'm sorry but this is a fix point. It has to happen" He thought it was a fixed point, he couldn't tell, he was just guessing.

"She's going to get hurt!"

"N-no. She'll be fine. You've got to remember it was you who said the next years won't be pretty and it's not but it's apart of her learning process..."

He groaned and whacked his head against the floor.

"That's not the point!" The Doctor yelled. But then he stopped. Stopped what he was doing and smiled gently.

"Jack, get off me!"

"I don't think I should..." He began carefully easing himself off of the Doctor but not so he noticed.

"Get off me now!"

"What why?!"

But The Doctor was already scribbling Rose and the address she was at on a bit off paper and signing it "Shareen".

The last thing he noticed was that they were running, knocking furiously on the Tyler's flat door and running off again, leaving only a note of where Rose was.

She was going to go mental and potentially kill Shareen. She was going to scream and cry and be in so much trouble that she would hate her life for a maximum of the days she was grounded.

But he had to do it because being the defender of the Earth came with a price. A price which meant that the defender of the Earth had its own defender, it's own healer and that was and would always be, The Doctor.


	18. 16 Years Old

**I have been thinking about this chapter for ages thinking the best way to really see Rose for herself, which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed it. Please keep reading and reviewing etc! Sorry it's been so long. Love you all!**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

Mickey found himself feeling extremely guilty. He was at home, sat on the worn out couch, his head in his hands. It was his entire fault, all this chaos was down to him. He'd introduced her to that stupid _Jimmy Stone. _It was down to him, it was his fault. He was the reason she was so distraught.

Jack put a reassuring hand on The Doctor's tight shoulder. He shouldn't have ever come up with this idea for him to watch Rose grow up. It was only torture for him. He should have never put him through this. That way he wouldn't have to suffer Jack's restraint, he wouldn't have to succumb to his body's immediate impulses to honour and protect. _Honour and Protect. _He hadn't meant to use those words, but they were so fitting. They'd chosen themselves. Jack would fix this mess. He would defend Rose Tyler without interfering in her timeline. He'd do the one thing the Doctor couldn't do; he'd _literally_ fight back.

Jackie was crying. She couldn't help but let the tears coat her blush. She hated Jimmy Stone and hated what he did to Rose but she was so _relieved_. Rose was home, she was safe. If Jimmy hadn't have blown it, if he hadn't of cheated on Rose and been proud of it maybe Rose would still be there. Still be in danger. Never mind the tears and her broken sobs, never mind her pleads for death and claims that she had nothing else; she was home (sort of). Jackie could look after her now.

The Doctor paced around the flat uneasily. Every now and then he'd push himself to the floor and close one eye in a Sherlock-Holmes manner as if trying to deduct the situation downstairs but the sound of crying taunted every inch of his soul meaning he couldn't stay there long.

He sighed again so that his breath grew heated in the cold flat. He ached to comfort her. Why couldn't he? Why couldn't he just be him and heal her; make her better without Jack throwing him to the ground? He was so paranoid, always assuming the Doctor was going to mess up. But he knew what he was doing. He could've stopped all this devastation he could have stopped all these repetitious God Forsaken tears. But it was too late now. No, he was too late.

Rose was trapped in her misery and he was trapped in his. They'd been separated. Again.

Shareen had her arm draped around her best friend's shoulders as she continued to utter sobs of despair against Shareen's top. Was Shareen allowed to be glad he was gone? Was she allowed to be celebrating inside? She'd spent the last few years chasing after Jackie at every possible wrong doing of Jimmy Stone's or Rose's for that matter; she'd even been doing it double. Like last year when Stone had made Rose try a fag, she'd rushed to find Jackie only to find she'd already left a note. Well, she didn't really believe it was from her, she wasn't that stupid. It had to be from Mickey who was just a wimp and so had signed it 'Shareen'. Still, she'd betrayed her best friend so as to look out for her. She'd betrayed her and she never felt so proud of it.

Across the city, in a dirty room of a damaged and stinking flat Jimmy Stone was bearing his teeth eagerly at his new interest.

Rose was so _boring_ compared to this edgy, exciting and totally unpredictable young girl. She was everything and Rose was nothing. She was different and bold and bad. Rose was plain, simple; boring. Just a notch on his bedpost now. Though he loved that, he loved that he'd stolen away her innocence if only for a moment. Now of course she could go back to being that unoriginal nobody. Good, he thought as this interesting and beautiful specimen sauntered towards him. He was glad she's gone.

Rose had never felt so devastated in all her life. The only thing she'd ever wanted, the only thing she'd fought to have, fought to lust after, fought to be good with. She'd given him everything. She'd left school for him, dyed her hair from him, given him every last ounce of her persona so that he twisted it and changed it until it was broken and changed. She was nothing now, had nothing and all she could do was cry.

* * *

It was about four hours later during the darkness of midnight that the Tyler's flat was finally silent. The Doctor hadn't said anything since his arrival and neither had Jack. They just waited for the story to be told of what happened that day. Neither had got the chance due to the amount of crying taking place.

It was clear that all were asleep in the downstairs flat. With this thought in mind and Jack slowly ebbing into unconsciousness as he too, found satisfaction in sleep, The Doctor thought steadily of a plan.

This was his last chance to console her. Really, it was his very last chance to look upon a young Rose Tyler and give her his last bit of hope. He was always saying that, always saying he wouldn't utter word, always saying that this was his last time and it was true because every time he saw her he believed it would be his last.

He would leave now while the wind was howling through the window, just to make sure he wasn't heard as he left in ambition for the Tyler's flat. The wind in his ears sounding slightly like a wolf's cry.

He shouldn't be at the door; the familiar smell of that ridiculous wooden door. He definitely shouldn't be using the Sonic to unlock every bolt on it; he absolutely shouldn't be standing in the doorway of her bedroom. He shouldn't be risking it. But he had too. For this one moment he'd risk everything with her in his presence he was willing to risk it all..

The moment his gaze fell open her, anger began to spark in his stomach. She was so pitiful. So upset. So damaged. So broken. So un-Rose like.

She was lying on her side on the covers of her bed with her fading dyed dark hair pulled back and her smudged mascara staining her cheeks. Shareen was cuddled into her side for Rose's comfort, holding her under her trusting arms as Rose sniffled in his sleep letting a few tears slide.

Jackie was right where the Doctor stood, sleeping in the chair as she postured herself in a protective watchful guard like position, keeping careful to keep a motherly eye on both the girls. Lucky for him both of those eyes were shut now but every so often she exhaled heavily letting him know that she really was just sleeping.

Around the room tissues were scattered everywhere, sad films were piled high on the television with several CD's around them. Chocolate wrappers and empty ice-cream tubs were around the covers and around his trainers as he carefully stepped over them to get closer to Rose.

She had folded herself over the side of the bed her expression facing the floor. He couldn't help it. He gently lay down on the floor replicating his position perfectly from New, New York. He could almost smell the apple grass in his nose as he looked upwards to a sleeping Rose.

The fading colour of her hair with the dark blonde streaming through, the foundation rubbing off to reveal her beautiful and natural pink skin, her jeans faded and her jacket folded around her shoulders to hide the cold from her arms.

He shouldn't be here, oh he really shouldn't but she was everything to him. This moment was everything to him. He was compelled to stay.

He lay directly under her eye line so that as a tear or two escaped and rolled down her nose it hit him on the face with its coldness. His hands reached out to wipe them away but thinking logically. He dropped his hand.

"Rose," His voice was raspy, husky.

"Rose?" He didn't want to wake her up; he just wanted to know she was listening.

"Rose?" The words were soft but had enough power so that they could be felt in her face. A hum rumbled in her throat. She could hear him.

"Hey, don't you worry about him. You don't need someone like that. You're better than that. You need someone like m-." He breathed in threw him mouth and closed his eyes for a few spare moments. His voice was breaking as he continued. "You're beautiful, 'Kay?"

A small little memory began to flash like lightening across his eyes, a small insignificant memory of Rose's ramblings; just her randomly talking about something. Immediately, his whole system began to light up. He grinned manically and played impatiently with his fingers.

"The thing is Rose, " he continued, twisting bits of fly away hair from her face and back towards her ponytail. "Rose Tyler doesn't get walked over. Defender of the Earth, defender of her rights, that's m'Rose. I-I mean. That's you; Individual, independent, indestructible, indescribable; i_m_portant."

He laughed slightly and stroked her face gently so that the blush burnt his fingers in a soothing manner.

"Don't get beat," He whispered softly as if blowing out a candle all the while igniting her with sympathy but more importantly hope. His grin turned manic again as he blew the words to her face.

"_Get even_."

* * *

_**Four Days Later:**_

* * *

Jack had Jimmy Stone by the scruff of his collar. It'd been four days, four Goddamn days for him to return and when he did it was only for his bloody car. Jack gripped the collar tight in his curled fists, throwing him against the concrete pillar, angrily.

"Any last words before I punch your lights in? Or rather smash them out?!" He growled; a pure ferociousness and malice pouring out as he began to swing his arm back.

He was pulled away seconds from arm release so that Jimmy Stone had the chance to fall to the floor in a heap and scarper off.

"You bastar-!" HE began to yell as he twisted around ready to raise his fist again, he was so God damn close to teaching him a thing or two if it hadn't been for this oaf! Jack stopped. "Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned and held his hand out for a high-five. He was denied it again. Jack rubbed his hands through his hair (a habit he learned off the Doctor) so it stuck up in a different style than what it had originally been gelled to.

"What's the big idea?! I was seconds away from _KA-POW_! Why did you stop me?!" His eyes were narrowing as he gritted his teeth together.

"Jack," The Doctor started but he was cut off.

"No! You're supposed to be ecstatically proud because I'm defending her in ways _you_ can't! Now piss off, I'm off on a 'hunting trip'." Jack yelled, shoving the Doctor away with his poised hands and attempting to storm off.

The Doctor pushed lightly so Jack retreated to where he originally stood.

"Jack!" The Doctor was still smiling widely and jumping in excitement.

"No! For once, I'm not restraining you and there's no way in hell you'd restrain me because I am FURIOUS WITH YOU! SO _GET LOST_!"

The Doctor laughed and jumped in Jack's way so his coat flowed at the gust of wind.

"Jack," he sang.

"What is it you marmalade-headed minger?!"

He pulled them both out of the way as a Car circled the square beneath the Powell Estate and crashed into a miniature pillar causing the front to steam and smoke a little.

"Oh,"

Jimmy who had been round the corner only within a few footsteps of the Doctor and Jack began hurtling insults at the driver and passenger. Mickey stepped out the car and began twirling the familiar keys round his index finger.

"Y'know. I love my job as a mechanic's apprentice. Means you get to really work with the ins and outs of cars. Especially the ins. You'll find a load a load of strange crap inside that hood." Mickey jabbed his thumb towards the smoking black hood. His eyes were calculating every Jimmy Stone movement as he looked to the wreck of his car.

"Hey Rose," he yelled to the open window of the car, he deliberately patted the hood harshly so as to piss of Stone. He deserved that. He deserved more than that but at Rose's insistence the car would have to satisfy..

"Even you would have been shocked by the mess of all those what-knots. Couldn't leave it in that state!"

The colour of Jimmy's face began to drain away as he began to stumble over his own words. "Wh-what?!"

He coughed and tried to rid his voice of all shock.

Jack and the Doctor were grinning manically and then all of a sudden the passenger car door slammed shut and there was Rose.

She was like a dream as she jumped out the car. Her worn out jeans, her faded shirts, the intricate patterns on her jacket, her trainers needing a new soles and then best of all, other than the lighter amount of make-upon her face, other than the sparkle in her large brown eyes, other than her cheeky, tongue-in-teeth grin; there was her hair. Her _blonde_ mid-length hair. No, her _peroxide blonde_ mid-length hair.

The Doctor couldn't even register what he was doing, neither could Jack. From within the shadows beneath the cast of the Pillars, The Doctor whooped with excitement with Jack as he jumped on his back and began cheering. They were grinning and celebrating and whooping. Excuse the few years growth needed there she was; Rose Tyler.

Rose ignored the random whooping of the strangers in the shadows and leant into the side of the car.

"I do hope you fixed it all, Mickey." She chided playfully.

Jimmy was trying to look unimpressed, non-turned on and totally brave as Rose raised her eyebrows at Jimmy. She felt nothing for him now and that made her pretty proud of herself.

"Of course not! Couldn't do that to our Jimbo, could we?"

"Of course not!" She quoted in agreement, grinning cheerfully.

She was taking few steps closer to Jimmy, placing a sarcastically sympathetic hand on the shoulder of Mr. Jimmy Stone as she patted it. He uttered the words against her cheek as if they were a threat. "As if, Rose. I know you, you wouldn't have _dared _touch the insides of m'car."

She laughed at his remarks.

"Not clever enough, are ya? Or brave enough..."

Rose was laughing, laughing in glee and it infuriated him. The Doctor loved that. Loved that she was fighting back.

"You're right," She said, cheerily pretending with a lack of enthusiasm that she was defeated by his words. "I wouldn't have '_dared'_ do anything to the _inside_ of your car."

She patted his shoulder again and then went to stand next to a very smug Mickey.

"The outside however," She pulled down the bottom right corner of her lip then winked at him. Jimmy stood himself so that his arms were crossed against his chest and he was leaning on his right leg. He was trying with all his effort to not look afraid.

"What...?"

"I defended the future female race from one Jimmy Stone!" She laughed and jumped off the hood of the car.

The Doctor and Jack were hugging. Jack was squeezed beneath the Doctor's grip as they spun each other around in a mix or mirthful madness. Jack got a little too full of himself as he smacked his lips audibly against the Doctor's own so that he stepped back, frowned and scrubbed the surface of his lips.

"Sorry, force of habit" he muttered but was eager to carry around leaping like a madman with the Doctor doing the same. They were cheering, they were celebrating, Rose's boys; and they were celebrating together for once.

Rose threw her head back as she and Mickey headed beyond the stand of Jimmy Stone.

"Did I mention, I like the re-vamp." She winked for the third time and watched as Jimmy ran to the back of the car.

Scratched into the black paintwork was; "Warning; I'm a manipulative, controlling, cheater. Ask every one of my exes!" and finishing that. Rose had signed it with an "x". Oh he did love her. HE loved her, he loved her sarcasm. Hell, The Doctor was in love with her. How could he not be?

Jimmy Stone was no longer laughing, no longer scoffing in the face of Rose Tyler. He glared, opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of something clever but giving up jumped in the car and started up the engine.

"Oh dear, Jimbo! You'll never get that out!" She yelled over the angry roar of the car.

Mickey spoke over both of them. "This time it was your car, hurt someone like that again and it'll be your face!"

It took him barely microseconds to speed away.

Mickey and Rose were imitating a similar dance of joy to The Doctor and Jack's as they too, whooped and laughed.

Shareen then ran out the shadows, running past Jack and The Doctor who had found it hilarious to continue to dance crazily. Shareen ran into Rose's open arms and hugged her tightly.

"You did it!" Shareen squealed as she clutched Rose tightly. "Everyone's so proud of you. Jeez even your neighbours from upstairs are in the corner whooping with laughter."

The Doctor and Jacked shared a look before turning deadly silent. Rose only smiled and blushed in self-pride.

"Well, I had help" She replied, grabbing both her friends and hugging them as a thank you.

"From who?!" Mickey asked, curious. Rose rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully on the back of his jacket.

"From you two!" She laughed and began walking towards home. " And someone else."

Shareen was grinning now. "Go on, who else?"

Rose sighed happily and tapped her head with two fingers. "My conscience"

In the same exact rhythm, using the same amount of fingers the Doctor grinned and tapped the left side of his chest tapping the heart that appeared human.

Jack was grinning as he hugged the Doctor's shoulders. "You did it!"

"Nope, _she_ did it" he corrected.

* * *

**Don't forget to review! :D xx**


	19. 17 Years Old

**Well, two chapters in one day haha. :D Please please please don't forget to follow/favourite and review. I'd really appreciate it. I love you all :D**

**Only One Chapter to go untill the final ;)**

**Youronlyastory xx**

* * *

Mickey was shuffling his feet awkwardly, pointing one foot cap and poking the other foot with it. The blush appeared on his cheeks as he refused to look at her. The wait was far more than agonising.

"You don't have to!" He blurted out as the paranoia became too much.

Rose looked to her feet. Oh Mickey. Why, why did he have to do it? Mickey was her best friend, the one man who she could trust with everything. The one man she could rely on before she'd even noticed him and here he was, making her once again hate her life. It had been a year since Jimmy. She was older now. More mature maybe? Only just. But she wasn't ready for a relationship. She didn't want one. She didn't want anything.

Mickey looked so grief stricken though, like he was about to burst into tears if Rose dared to utter such words that he didn't want to hear. His eyes were watering as he stuttered over the letters and tried to persuade her by playing with her fingers.

She wanted to snatch them back, she wanted to be angry at Mickey, really angry at once, she wanted to rant just so she could be human, let out a little emotion.

"Sure," She found herself saying out of sympathy rather than anything else. She didn't want to lose Mickey as a friend; she'd do anything to prevent that, since she barely had anyone else. She agreed, trying to hide the devastation from her voice.

What would Shareen say if she were here? Rose was glad she wasn't. She was doing a training course for hairdressing somewhere up north and promised to return once she had all her official paper work. Rose missed her more than anything but she was proud. Shareen was fulfilling her dream; she was getting out of one place to do what she longed to do. To do what she was great at.

Maybe Rose should travel too? Maybe she would save up some money and then travel the world? Pffft, she barely travelled to the shops alone. That's the one thing she didn't want to be though, alone.

Mickey seemed to jump in glee. His whole face lit up as he rushed forward to hug her, the shock on her face made him blush as he muttered an apology which she dismissed.

"I'll errr. I'll take you out tonight. Me and you. We'll have pizza?"

Rose couldn't find the words, just nodded trying not to let the tears fall from her eyes. She mustn't cry. He kissed her cheek and then went to walk off.

"I'll knock at yours...around seven? 'kay?"

Rose nodded again and the next thing she knew, she was leaving her mum a note and heading on the next train out of London.

* * *

The Doctor slammed the mallet against the TARDIS console. "Behave!" He yelled, slamming his fist on the glowing console and his forehead began to sweat in frustration, his hair falling into his eyes. Jack was rushing out of the wardrobe, shuffling a jacket and scratching at his beard from around his face and beanie hat.

The Doctor was sprawled against his machine. His right trainer was holding down the vortex manipulator, the palm of his left hand was pushing on the speed enhancer and wrapped around his tongue was string which followed around the console, through the grating, under the safety barriers into the wide open of the purring engine.

"Come on!" He growled as he tried to push his machine to her highest speed. She wasn't behaving, she didn't like new Jack. He was always flirting with her Doctor, he used to flirt with her as well but not since he changed. Not since BadWolf changed him.

She missed her Badwolf. Jack was still scratching his beard.

"So, is it good enough?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "It'll have to do. Ahhhh, no! Come on!" He continued to criticize the TARDIS's choices as she tried to slow down. Jack started to feel a little guilty. He saw it; he could see it as the Doctor avoided him, the longing in his eyes. He desired more than anything to be in Jack's position but he'd been kind enough to give it up.

He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The Doctor ignored his questions. "Right you've only got a few seconds and you'll have to bolt through those doors so I can hide off in a hill somewhere. _Don't_ mess it up, Jack. This is one of the only chances you'll get and I can't come wi-. I can't help you." He reiterated.

"I know." Jack said, the adrenaline running through his veins. They'd seen it; they'd seen Rose's awful reaction once Mickey had left the scene. They'd seen her panic and begin to lose control of her breathing; they'd seen her running off in the direction of the Train station.

"Good luck,"

Then he was thrown out the doors, latex face falling flat into the grass with a thud. Where the hell where they (or rather he)? It was some sort of grassy cliff? Sea gulls? He was by the sea then. Ahh, well. Didn't matter where exactly. He was here.

He could hear Rose's furious screams as she threw rocks into the wind.

"I hate you!" She screamed repeatedly. "Everything. Everything. My dad, my boyfriend ; even my best friend! Why can't I just die?!" Her eyes were watering and tears were staining her make-up. "Just kill me!" She begged as the raw pain of her throat began to become obvious. "KILL ME!"

Jack was racing up the hill as Rose teased the edge of the cliff with her foot. She wasn't talking to anyone, just screaming into the wind as she cried and walked along the cusp of the cliff edge trying to wipe away the hot tears.

"No!" Jack screamed as he rushed forwards towards her. She screamed in shock, she thought she was alone.

Jumping out of her skin, she wobbled towards the sea line, four-hundred feet above it as a disguised Jack gripped her wrist and yanked her back onto the safety of the grass.

He was breathing too heavily to try say something as she wiped more tears from her face as she sobbed a 'thank-you'.

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" He muttered, checking over her arms and face, still wiping the hair from her forehead to check for hidden bruises.

"N-no. I'm f-fine...thank you..." She gurgled as her breath sank in her throat and then she looked at him, really _looked _him.

"It's you!" She chocked.

He froze for the moment, not breathing, not saying a word.

"I-it's you, isn't it?! Oh my God..."

He tried not to panic as her desperate words burnt his disguise.

"You're so old..."She sighed, eyeing the dodgy latex and the greying beard which he continued to scratch at. It was irritating his skin yet it had not changed in anything except colour. His style had not changed slightest. His eyes were the same. It was him just an older him.

Her hand covered her face as she continued to try hold back tears of pleasure this time. She didn't even know why she was crying, she couldn't help it but here he stood; the man with no friends. "I-I'm sorry. It's just. It's been a bad...I can't believe it's you."

Jack was heartbroken, he'd done it. #he'd somehow pissed everything up. It'd kill the Doctor...He'd never be able to face him again. Jack had destroyed his whole future...He tried shuffling away but he couldn't avoid her.

"You don't remember me."She stated as he shrugged solemnly, the guilty flowing through like poison to his blood stream.

She smiled through her shaky tears. "When I was about eight or nine you gave me a bit of advice..."

He raised an eyebrow as the relief swam through him like the world's most blissful drug. She saw his expression and continued.

"You were winding me up a bit. About make-up and stuff/boys et cetera." She said.

"Yeah, yeah. I was. That was me." He grinned as he patted her shoulder. "You remember me..." they were almost sounding like a cry of joy now.

Her mouth curved into a tight smile. "Yeah. You were the guy with no friends."

He laughed into the breeze, thanking every un-nameable God. It was so peaceful here, the perfect place for Rose to rant.

"Ahh!" He said, his accent thick. "I have friends now. Now that I've moved here..."He lied quickly. She seemed to believe this as she sighed and nodded; wiping away the remnants of lost tears.

They enjoyed the silence for a second or two until he saw tears forming in her eyes again.

"What are you doing here, then?"

"Dunno. Just wanted to travel away I guess." She sniffed and ran her nose along her sleeve. "Thanks for..."

"Don't mention it." He interrupted quickly. He really didn't want to hear it.

"You were screaming pretty loud..."He teased after a few moments. There was that trust of a familiar stranger. Like when you only just meet someone and then you meet them again and get to know them and can't even remember the before eve when you didn't know each other.

"You were ear wigging!" She accused, blushing a little and wrapping her hair away from her sweaty neck.

"You know when you meet someone and you trust them instantly?"He sweetened, attempting to make her laugh so she didn't tell him off. It worked.

Rose laughed despite her sadness. "Had a tough few years." She sighed, thinking of all that had happened and deciding she wanted to forget about it.

"Tell me,"

His words were working, she trusted him just like he trusted her. She trusted him in the exact same way of all those many years ago.

"The only man I have ever loved destroyed my entire future meaning I'm destined to become a replica of my mother. Alone, damaged, unwanted."

He didn't say anything. Her words were a lot calmer now. She could say all this without the tears of frustration or the screaming, she'd trusted Jack's judgement. Or the disguised stranger's judgement.

"I didn't mean that..."

"I know..."

She smiled a little. "It's a lot easier talking to a stranger about these things, init?... I don't even know your name, what was it?"

He winked at her. "Ah, if I told you that, I'm afraid you'd have to distrust me."

She laughed and pulled up a few strands of grass. "True."

"Any way, you were saying?" He wanted her to continue, he wanted to help her out make her feel better. He wanted to do it in honour of the Doctor.

"Well, that and my best friend thinks he's in love with me..."

"Thinks?" Jack asked watching as she tried not to cry again.

"God, he's just so lovely and so sweet and so genuine. I love him, I do. But, but..."

"You're not _in love_ with him?" he finished. She grimaced but nodded.

"That and he don' really...he needs to be looked after, someone who wants to help people... I'm not very good at that."

"Hey!" He challenged. "Don't put yourself down. You're brilliant at that!"

"I escaped to a part of the county that I know nothing off and did it out of selfishness. I don't want to be the damaged girl that Jimmy made me but I-. I..." She groaned in frustration and buried her face in her hands. "I don't want to lose him. And yeah I don't want to be alone but that's a different meaning to what it was before. I don't want to be alone and have no friends. On the relationship side, I don't really care anymore. I know I'm probably going to be alone. And that's..."

She breathed heavily and watched Jack's expression. "Fine."

"Fine?" He scoffed but he shook his shoulders and cleared his throat. "I think what you need, is a fresh start."

"Don't we all?" she replied

He smiled and pulled her to her feet. "Still, it's five o'clock. It'll take you an hour on the train to get back home so you better hurry along now."

She laughed and wiped the grass from her backside. "Yeah well. I'm practically a grown up now."

He laughed and walked her to the edge of the hill; he didn't want to go any further. He wanted to enjoy the sea side scene a little more.

"Yeah, still. Go along and _play_."

She rolled her eyes and wiped the skin from under them. She waved and began to walk off but she stopped. She'd stopped again and ran back up the hill.

"Hey mister." She quoted herself, grinning as she placed her lips against his bearded cheek. "Thanks again."

He could only grin and wave her off before waiting for his vehicle home. His blush burnt his face but he couldn't help but watch over her as she walked off towards the train station, heading back home.

He shivered against the breeze and thought of his secret project in Cardiff. He was needed there. The twenty-first century was when everything changes and they had to be ready.

* * *

**Did you enjoy it? Did you hate it? Could it be better? Or worse? Any hints or tips? Any critiscims? I'd love to hear them! Thank you! xx**


	20. 18 Years Old

**Totally changed my minbd like I normally do, this chapter isnt the last. This chapter has been the one thing that this story's been leading up to though. This whole chapter has been one of my real favourites. I loved it...**

**I Hope you did to?**

**Thank you for all your enthusiasm with this story. Hugs to you legends!**

**Youronlyastory**

* * *

Jack was grinning wildly despite the alcohol in his system. The TARDIS was in his full view. Its flashing lights were hurting his eyes and the thick vibrant walls were nearly knocking him off his feet. He was so glad to see it, so absolutely glad. Until he saw his face.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The Doctor cheered as he pulled his novelty hat away from his fringe. He looked at Jack and frowned at his confusion. The Doctor looked different. He was smiling, really smiling but it still didn't reach his eyes. What was wrong with his eyes?

"What's wrong?" Jack muttered, investigating the Doctor's face. He missed the pin stripped suit. This blue one made him feel weird it made him feel like The Doctor was trying to forget Rose, forget everything he had with Rose. The Doctor smiled and combed his fringe over his eyebrows, trying to avoid Jack's stare.

"We need to talk," He gulped and removed his hat, nodding so that all seriousness got rid of his cheeryness.

Jack sat down.

"What? What is it? Oh God, what's happened? What have I done, what have you done? What's happened?!"

The Doctor raised his hands and sat beside him on the sofa.

"Jack, calm down. It's not you..."

"Because whatever I'v-"

"Jack! It's not you!"He yelled.

Jack just stared at him, blinking a few times as he braced himself from the Doctor's words.

"I've met someone."

The next thing was he noticed was that he was being woken up by the waving of the Doctor's hand in front of his face. "Are you awake? Jack, are you okay? Jack?!"

Jack suddenly jumped away from him, swatting his hands away and shuffling on his butt away from the Doctor. The Doctor groaned in frustration.

"_What?! _What the_ fuck _do you mean you met _someone?!" _He squealed, immediately showing all resent towards the Doctor so that he rolled his eyes.

"Jack, please, don't swear."

"Swear?! Don't swear! I'm gunna swear to rip your bloody head off in a minute. What the _**fuck**_ do you mean you met someone?!"

The Doctor frowned at his string of repeated curses that followed as he tried to get as far away as possible.

"Not like that," He seethed looking to the floor and rubbing his eye.

"Yeah, you say that now you dirty, rotten, low life! How could you?!"

"Jack! It's not like that. You know I didn't mean that. Stop ranting and think logically for a moment or two, will ya?!" He groaned at himself again and narrowed his eyes.

"It's also a little harsh don't you think. If you remember? For you to drag me to my torture because you _know _that I would never have been able to resist something like that, for you to go black-mailing me into watching her, the most brilliant and fantastic pink and yellow human grow into Rose Tyler, for you to persuade an already weak willed me into watching someone become the one thing I desire, knowing I can't ever see her again? It's a little harsh of you to judge. Especially as you're the first one to flaunt your libido around Earth!"

Jack's mouth fell open.

"Anyway. I've got this friend. A mate._ A MATE!_ She's brilliant but. She's sort of spelled it out..."

"What? That you like a little bit of that human road rage without the road?!" He spat angrily.

"What?! Jack, I mean it. Just a mate!"

"Yeah. Is that what you tell everyone?!" He scoffed.

"Jack!" He scolded "A mate. I wanted-_needed_ a mate. That's all. " He thought of Martha and her massive monologue. He thought about every time he could of led her on and dropped her at the mention of Rose, he felt a little guilty. He wanted Martha to be a friend. He wanted someone to blind his vision make him forget about his loss.

Donna did something better, she helped him come to terms with it.

He waited for Jack to apologize but he didn't, just moved closer to the sofa. His words shattered the silence like a sharp new piece of cut glass.

"I'm not coming back."

Jack stood up abruptly, unable to point anywhere but the evening's night with his shaking finger. He was always doing that now, arriving at night.

The Doctor eyed his expression and stood up to try and reassure him.

"This is my last year, Jack." His own voice was breaking. He cleared his throat. "I'm not coming back."

"N-no. You c-can't be serious. Next year is her last year. She's nineteen next year! It's barely even a year! Nineteen, remember? Our agreement" He tried to stand up to him but he was too busy trying not to attack him. That and remembering his balance.

He looked at his trainers and sniffed. "This will be the last time you see me, Jack. For a while at least."He winked and wrung the hat out. Jack was too busy yelling at him.

"No! Rose. What about Rose?! You can't leave now!"

Jack didn't even realise that the Doctor had his hands on the top of Jack's arms. The Doctor was restraining Jack and there, in the depths of his eyes, right in the very darkness of his brown misery, he was trying not to cry. He was pushing Jack away as he was trying to barge into him.

"Jack, I have to."

He tried to push the Doctor away as he screamed. "One more year. Please?! Please?!"

"I can't and I won't."

"Please. _Please," _Jack was groaning against the Doctor's chest, trying not to scream at him.

"She's nineteen next year. She will literally be Rose Tyler and I can't face that." He screwed up his face and then composed it with a growl. "Don't Jack. Don't."

But it was too late, he was slamming his fists against his shoulders and yelling incoherent pleads.

"You're abandoning me again. Not just me, her. You're abandoning her!" Jack shouted.

His eyes flashed to the bottle of whisky at the side of the sofa. Well, merry Christmas to that!

"Jack, it's not that." But he collapsed and stopped pushing, literally collapsed into the Doctor's arms. He was sleeping.

He rolled his eyes a little and put him on the sofa.

"I'm sorry Jack." He sighed, patting his chest and lightly tanning "thank you" into his forehead with the screwdriver. That might make him laugh in the morning. He hoped. "I'm so sorry."

If only Donna was awake, she would have loved that! But Donna meet Jack? Perhaps not. He sighed again. Jack had never even got to know Donna. But he couldn't wake her, despite her rather observant nature this was a secret he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell his best friend about this beautiful sweet and funny girl who he'd watched grow into the love of his-. He couldn't ever tell her about Rose.

* * *

He wrinkled his nose and moved the TARDIS into the concrete square of the Powell Estate for the last time, watching Rose's flat as he imagined her tucking herself into bed. He imagined her wrapping the covers around her shoulders like she used to do at home-not home the TARDIS.

She used to curl up into a ball on her bed and by the morning once she awoke with a yawn, she'd stretched out so the fluffy socks of her feet went over the bed. He shouldn't know that but he did. He knew that she still rubbed her thumb over her nose when sleeping a habit of when she was younger and used to suck her thumb. He knew that when she was tired her voice would drift off and she'd ramble.

He knew that she spoke in her sleep. He knew that she called him and a few times (a very rare few times of which he'd never confessed to) he knew what she dreamt about, the nightmares; The Daleks and the Cyberman, her mum resenting her, the Doctor abandoning her.

He knew that every time he thought of her, his hearts cracked a little, every time she entered his thoughts, he'd have to stop what he was doing and control himself so he wouldn't scream at the nearest living thing, cursing them for the lack of Rose.

His ears picked up all of a sudden, his feet were in tune before his mind as he ran towards the road at the speed of lightening, slapping the ground as the soles of his trainers slid across the floor. His sweating hands grabbed her waist as he tugged them both out the way of the car so that she collapsed in his chest and burst into a fit of giggles.

He pulled them up and checked her over just in the same tenderness as Jack had done the year before.

"What were you thinking?! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Rose laughed and trailed her hand down his chest.

"M'sooo pissed I can't see straight" She confessed laughing as he sighed a little out of relief. Then he looked at her. He _looked _at her and he couldn't do anything but smile awkwardly like a love sick teenager. Oh she was so beautiful.

"Saved my life. You saved my life." Her clammy hand was on his neck, absently mindedly stroking her fingers through his short hair.

His coherent-ness was gone, completely gone as she breathed a breath of strong alcohol into his view. He was besotted.

"Yeah well. Are you-you..." The thought left him as she blinked rapidly trying to take in his image. All she could see was a blur of blue, brown and a flushed pink. Still. He did save her life.

She was so beautiful. She had a beanie hat pulled over her head as she cackled her alcoholic breath into the evening. Her hair was falling out of the curls she must have styled them in and her make-up was thicker than ever. She'd been on a night out.

"Aren't you a little young to drink?" He managed to blurt out as she giggled into his shoulder, intoxicating him on this attention she was giving him. He should have been running off by now but what the hell?! She was so drunk, she couldn't see straight. She had said so herself. That and he was stuck into where he stood. Literally, he couldn't move, especially as she was now purring so lovingly in his ear.

This was his moment. He deserved this much, didn't he? This was his reward, a few moments with Rose Tyler.

"Nope." She said, popping the 'P'. "M'eigh'een. Ol' enuff to drink, to drive...to...'love'." She winked and tugged on his shoulder.

His knees went weak; he wobbled as a few beads of sweat fell down his neck. It was winter for God sake! They should be freezing but every part of him was burning with intensity. _Don't groan!_ He warned himself as she slowly started to randomly massage his shoulders. He wanted more than anything just to bury his face into her hair and hug her, a hug so that both of his arms ran around her waist.

"Haven't you-." He whimpered and then sniffed, trying to sober himself up by standing up straight and frowning at Rose. "You've got a boyfriend." He stated strongly.

"What's a snog?!" She shrugged pretending that it would mean nothing when it reality, it would mean the whole universe to him. She wasn't even able to keep her eyes open properly why was he still allowing himself to be trapped under her spell?

"Don't." He muttered but his blush was begging for her warm hug. A warm skin on skin contact, by that he meant his cheek on her own. His eyes followed her as she stumbled over her own feet so that she fell on his chest. He caught her with ease.

"How will I ever thank my _hero_?" She winked and stroked his lapels awkwardly.

"You don't." He muttered trying to ignore the screaming inside his held as his fingers gently wrapped around her wrists so that he could hold her away as he took a step back. "You don't ever need to thank me," He added when she frowned. Her head was lolling about on her neck as she struggled to keep her balance.

"And if-I wan'to?" She teased, still pocking his chest with her soft hands.

"You don't want to."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, muttering a "fine" as she stepped back. Why did her head have to pound in that way?!

"Why not?!" She yelled rather angrily after a moment or two, but still with that cheeky look in her eye. Why was he bothering to tell her what to do? He wasn't her boss.

"Be-because," He laughed at himself and threw his head back. He was laughing rather madly as he disappointedly shook his head at himself. He shouldn't be responding to her. "You're not my Rose." He finalised, the truth burning his tongue.

She took another wobbly step back and scoffed. "My names Rose. You never know, we might have some similari'es?!"

He folded his lips together and shook his head. He was actually denying himself this beautiful moment.

"You did still save me..." She slurred, throwing her hands out in mayhem.

He thought about mumbling something but she still seemed pretty sharp in her deluded state.

"Did I?" The aching in his gut made him whimper again as she waggled her eyebrows at him.

"Don' matter. I've got a boyfriend..."

He didn't say anything.

"Fancy a drink?" She contradicted, nodding her head in the direction of a local pub.

"In all honesty, I think you're bladdered enough as it is. I think you need to go home."

She frowned. "Well maybe I will. Maybe I'll go and throw myself at Mickey! He'll want me."

He rolled his eyes at the very drunk Rose. Why did she have to be so infuriating?!

She slapped her butt knowing that the look on his face was revealing his true desires. Stupid unreliable features!. "See ya then!" She warned, tripping over herself as she tried to trip away.

"Bye," he whispered waving his hand as she groaned in frustration. He loved this girl, this girl who was sauntering away and teasing him in her drunken craziness. He loved her with all his heart. But it wasn't his Rose and he wasn't _in love_ with her. His Rose teased him and recognised him and wandered off. His Rose was the first to criticize him and stand up for them when they were in trouble. His Rose _knew_ him.

He really did love this cheeky girl who tried to pretend she was sober enough to know what he looked like but despite his desperation to be with her, his desire to just touch her; it wasn't Rose.

He swallowed his breath as she stormed off into her home and he slowly trudged into his. He pulled his eyebrows together and placed his palm against the TARDIS door. His ship hummed in comfort.

"Thanks ol' girl." He whispered as he thumped his head against the blue door trying to hold in every tear which threatened to fall. This was the last time he'd ever see Rose Tyler and it hurt more than anything.

His ship was humming against his head but he tried to ignore it.

He was thrown so that he was facing a heavy breathing Rose.

"I don't want to run off and vomit before thanking you," She chocked, her breath really rugged as her hand held tightly onto the back of his neck. Every thought sprung to mind, every word of every language clouding his vision as he tried to think logically.

She was grinning at him, frowning as she tried to look into his eyes. His hands were lost in hair, lost somewhere in its blonde tangles as he surreptitiously tried to momentarily blind her by stopping her eyes from focusing onto the image of him, using of course, his talented fingertips and his clever Galifrayan talents.

She didn't care that she couldn't actually see what he looked like, she was so drunk she didn't care but as she breathed ruggedly and he lost his hands in her hair. That was it.

She pulled him down to meet her, her lips ghosting his own as she passionately crashed her lips to his own. Crashing like waves upon deserted sanded rocks.

He could taste the alcohol on her breathe, he could feel her tongue teasing his bottom lip, he could smell the homely smell of her flat as his right hand gripped the bottom of her jacket trying to pull her away as his mouth get her rooted to her spot; begging her to stay.

He reconstructed every moment of pain he went through by not having her with him anymore, just by pulling her close. His eyes were closed tight shut as he tried to really imagine that it was her. _His _Rose Tyler. The emotion of his ninth incarnation was trying to be soft and gentle against the tenderness of her smooth pink lips but his new self was so desperate to be in this position, he couldn't help but get a little lost. He replicated the moment in his head by imaging that she recognised him. This is what he'd wanted since nearly dying in the concrete jails of Victorian England, he'd be foolish not to cherish the moment..

His new energetic self couldn't help but try to satisfy her, try to prove that he could be her everything but she was completely and absolutely drunk. She was becoming intoxicated on her own breath and he was intoxicated on her pheromones.

Her own eyes were shut as she lost herself in his soul. This stranger had just saved her life, had just literally saved her, she didn't know who the hell he was, she was too drunk to even care but here she was clinging on to the emotion of this man as his need for her closeness was all too clear. She thought briefly of Mickey, how upset he'd be but this stranger was unlike anyone she'd ever met and it was more than the simple fact she wanted him. He was giving her the one thing she'd been searching for her whole life, she was given faith. Faith from his beautiful self and his talented mouth. She hadn't even planned anything, they were just drawn together, like they were meant to be here, lips locked like an intricate and foreign string of complicated puzzles and sequences.

She tore her mouth away as the need to oxygen took over.

He was lost, completely lost in his own dreams, still memorizing every single second.

Then she was gone; running off into the evening's night.

And he was walking back into the TARDIS pretending that nothing had happened, shoving the memory to the back of his head a tear slid down his face. Rose Tyler had just snogged him and was now probably vomiting around the back of a pillar. He should be the happiest person in the world.

He'd kissed Rose Tyler, sure and that meant everything. The thought of BadWolf Bay pierced his whole existence. _"I-. I love you."_

He'd finally kissed Rose Tyler, but it wasn't the Rose Tyler he was in love with.

* * *

**Did you love it? Did you hate it? Can you please tell me? Please please please dont forget to review I'd love to hear your thoughts even if you want to pm me. You're all brilliant ! xx**


	21. The End

**Well, here we are, old friend. The last page ;) Kinda.**

**Thank you all soooooooo much for your support with this story, it's one that I have struggled with but loved the idea of. **

**I cannot thank you enough for the reviews and the follows and the favourites but as this is the very last chapter, I would love to be cheeky and ask for one last review please. An evaluation of the whole story? Good points, bad points? Things to work on? Thing you loved? It would be 100% aqppreciated and might help for further stories in the future.  
**

**I have to confess that I haven't watched the End Of Time-I'm not a masochist yet :P so I wasn't completely keen on researching that totally so I struggled to write this as I was bubbling through the first part. :P**

**The ending was one that you all deserved, it's my favourite and totally honoured theory so I HAD to include it, however I was pretty awful at writing it because...well yeah, I don't have any excuses other than the fact that I struggled to write the ending :P.**

**I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Sorry for any mistakes.**

**Thank you soooooooooo much! You've all made my summer; FANTASTIC! ;)  
**

**Youronlyastory xxx**

* * *

The whole town was completely empty, London looked nothing like London. It was deserted quite rightly like Donna described; a "ghost town". I muttered something about Sarah-Jane being right. She was always right, always being clever, always being brilliant and adventurous. My Sarah-Jane Smith.

"Think Donna," I said, my voice thick as a whole new wave of excitement rushed forward at the simple mention of her name on my tongue, _her _name. "When you met _Rose_ in that parallel world what did she say?"

Donna looked distressed as she shook her head, trying to banish a headache sighed.

"Just 'The darkness is coming'..."

I was trying to calculate everything, absolutely everything and put it together but her bleakness wasn't helping.

"Anything else?" I asked unable to keep from shaking my head looking for her to answer me. I couldn't help but be a little bit patronizing.

She went to shake her head, or maybe throw her head back slightly and summon the memory but she stopped. Her eyes grew wide as she looked behind my shoulder and then looked into my eyes.

She flashed another gaze behind my shoulder then looked back to me, trying to hold back a smile. This really wasn't the time or the place; I couldn't afford to be patient about this!

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" She breathed, smiling as my wide eyes changed to recreate frowning confusion.

Ask her yourself? Why is she saying words? Why am I not translating them? Why can't I think what she means? I tried to translate it in Galifrayan with the help of the TARDIS but the English words sounded too beautiful to change.

_Why don't you ask her yourself?_

She looked up again as Rose's lullaby began to play in my head, the songs of my people, the song I'd created for her.

My feet were beginning to turn, my whole face contorting into nothing but a blank space.

There she was, the outline of her whole shape, Rose, she was looking at me. Rose, _my Rose_.

I turned a little more, still not understanding anything of this whole situation until I was face on and there it was. The smile, her face broke into a grin, a grin, my grin.

_Rose._

Every fibre of my body every cell just stopped momentarily, I couldn't even begin to understand because there she was. She knew who I was. _She recognised me. It was my Rose._

She smiled and began to run towards me, I could sense Donna smiling as suddenly I was running too. My feet were moving without my control as I stared open mouthed, calculating what this meant.

She was grinning, Rose, she was running towards me, my Rose the girl I'd lost, she was running and she was smiling at me but I just couldn't. I couldn't remember how to do anything except run towards her.

Then I was sprinting, cutting the air with my arms, my whole focus on Rose as I ran towards her and she to me.

I mirrored her smile, cutting through the breeze as every single being smiled; Donna to Rose and I, Rose to I, me to Rose, running faster than I'd ever run before.

I could see a little bit of Jenny. I could see the similarities of Jenny in Rose. They'd created Jenny from the deep imprints of Rose to not only give her one parent but to replicate Jenny on the one thing I longed for.

Rose.

Running towards her, I didn't stop, I was going to hold her in my arms, my Rose and never let her go but she gasped and slowed down. I didn't dare of course. My sights were set and then I heard the cry, that fatal cry.

My mouth opened in a gasp as the raw green energy shocked me to my death. I groaned. Rose. No! Rose.

Then I was on the floor.

Donna gasped and started running, a flash of light in the corner appeared, but it didn't matter because I could still hear the sound of her feet thumping towards me.

My head lolled to the floor in agony as her voice welcomed me.

"I've got you," She promised, staring intently on me. She recognised me. Rose. My Rose she'd come back.

I was dying, I was completely dying but it didn't matter because was at the one place I wanted to be. In her arms.

In her warm grasp.

Surges of pain were hacking through my body killing me in the most excruciating way but I welcomed it. This was how I was going to die.

"I missed you," She whispered. "Look." She was grabbing my neck like the younger her did and pulling me round so I could see her one last time.

Rose.

I was squinting, memorizing every moment, the end of the sentence from Bad Wolf Bay bubbling my lips. I didn't have enough left in me to utter them because I wanted to be here, I wanted to enjoy the moment of Rose. I wanted to be alive but I knew if I was going to die, I'd die happy.

I'd be complete.

Then the word fell out my mouth

"Rose."

Frowning I tried to focus again to see her properly.

"Long time no see?"

She was cradling my head as she made a joke but my whole body was trying to throw itself out of her arms. She didn't let it happen. She would never le it happen, I was safe here.

"Don't die!" she commanded. "Oh my God. Don't die."

I wanted to oblige, I really did but here she was, protecting me in my last moments of sanity. I didn't want to regenerate, I wanted to die here. With Rose.

She held onto me as my hands tried to fumble at the bottom of her jacket for her hands.

But I couldn't, I didn't have the energy.

Jack was trying to lift me up, so was Donna and Rose. I attempted to hold her around in my arms but I was failing and my arm fell barely able to hold a brief second of a hug.

I was going to regenerate.

* * *

"Two-thousand and five?" I repeated, desperate to watch her face to enjoy seeing her even though I promised I wouldn't come back.

She held her arms away from the cold, watching me with curiosity.

"Tell you what. I bet you're gunna' have a really great year!" The moisture took hold of my sight, the words stung as much as the radiation as I held in the tears.

_Goodbye._

* * *

I was screaming inside my head, begging this not to be the end, begging them to let me start again begging anything and everything as the Ood song blinded my hearing.

"I don't want to go"

* * *

"It's you!" Donna squawked as I suddenly sat up. I was alive! I'm alive. No wait, better than that.

I wasn't the Doctor anymore, well I would always be the Doctor _but better than that_, I was the Meta crisis .I was a paradox being sustained by the TARDIS. I was alive.

"Oh yes..." I mumbled thinking of all that had happened.

"You're naked!" She squealed.

"Oh yes!"

Chaos happened; I got to see Martha, Mickey, Sarah-Jane. I was being hated on by a younger version of me and I was on an adrenaline rush from the death of Davros but I was alive!

"Don't you see what he's giving you? Go on tell her! Go on."

Feeling embarrassed under everyone's stares I looked at Rose and only Rose.

The younger me was trying not to look, trying to kill me with a glare but I just ignored him, he'd have everything. When the time came, he would be here with Rose Tyler. A Rose that recognised and loved him.

Then I was being kissed, being held in her arms and being able to actually give her everything back.

Everything was a blur, she was devastated and happy and confused. Everything had just rushed through and we were left on the beach again alone other than Jackie (who acted in a similar way to how Rose looked when Jackie first saw Parallel Pete) but it didn't matter.

Nothing else mattered other than the fact that we were where I'd always wanted to be, I was with Rose Tyler, I would finally live the adventure I thought I could never give her.

I'd have to get a mortgage, a house with windows and doors. More importantly I'd have to find a way to somehow prove that the TARDIS had sent my essence back into my own timeline. That was going to be difficult.

Still, we had the rest of our lives and we were going to spend it together.

_The Doctor and Rose Tyler, how it should be, the stuff of legends._


End file.
